Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak
by PanHopeNvs
Summary: After Pan and Bra run into trouble at the Charity Ball, they finally find a way to stay fused for more than thirty minutes. Para struggles to cope with the knowledge of the new enemy, and also adjust to life as a fused being. Trunks and Goten are both attracted to Para, and both interested in being with her, but she has other plans...
1. Too Much Woman

_C__hapter One: Too Much Woman_

I had taken this story down from FFnet because I re-wrote and adapted it as an original book series which I published for sale. However, I kept writing this story and putting chapters out in a private group on Facebook called "Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak."

To celebrate thirty chapters of thirty minutes, I am putting the story back up here for a while, so you all can enjoy it once more. To all the new readers, welcome to the story, and I hope you will enjoy it! I'll be uploading a few chapters at a time, but the whole story should be up here in a few days.

This is not your ordinary, conventional T/P. It's disturbing, twisted, and real. But also fun.

Pan and Bra make the ULTIMATE plan of revenge on Trunks and Goten for their womanizing ways.

Pan is aged 26, Trunks is 40. Bra is 27 and Goten is 39.

~PanHopeNvs~

* * *

The golden limousine pulled up alongside the most expensive and ritzy club in the city. Everyone knew that car, and there were excited screams to welcome its arrival. A red carpet welcome. Two men lounged in the back casually.

"What delicious fruit shall we taste tonight?" asked Goten, "I sure am hungry."

"I'm in the mood for something exotic. Someone with an accent… maybe Spanish or Brazilian," said Trunks.

"Aw, man. How amateur. Hasn't that gotten boring yet?"

"Well, what's your pleasure, Goten?"

"Local dishes. A normal, sweet innocent girl. Someone that believes everything you say, someone that trusts you with her life, and thinks you're the answer to her prayers. I want to rock the world of a girl like that, make her fall in love, and then leave her. Break her heart and break her innocence."

"Like you did with my sister."

"No. Your sister wasn't innocent. I was thinking of Paris."

Trunks shrugged, "You're twisted, man."

"I learned from the best."

Trunks and Goten entered the club and moved to their usual section of the VIP area, ordering their usual drinks and finger foods, and being barraged by the usual throng of admirers. They scanned the crowd discreetly for their victims, and for perhaps the first time, their gaze settled on the same woman.

"Hey, Trunks, I've never seen _her_ before."

The woman in question was breathtaking, and she sat all alone in the corner. There was a small area of calm around her, as if no one dared approach. She wore a slender silver watch on her wrist and glanced at it furtively.

"I was just thinking the same thing. She keeps checking the time. Think she's waiting for someone?"

"Either that or she has to leave. We'd better move in fast: rock, paper, scissors?"

"No man, this looks like it's going to be a challenge. Let's both go and see which one of us she likes better," suggested Goten.

"You're just saying that so you can use my fame and fortune to your advantage," said Trunks, but he agreed with his friend and they moved in on the woman.

She had deep Indigo coloured hair—so dark it was almost black, but not quite. Her midnight tresses swirled over her shoulders and far past her bottom. Her hair would likely go down to her knees when she stood up. Was all of that natural? Her hair was unreal. She wore a tasteful silver silk dress with matching gloves and strappy heeled sandals. She was sipping on a martini thoughtfully.

The two saiyans approached her cautiously but confidently, as predators to prey.

"Hello, miss…" began Trunks politely, and the woman's head snapped around to look at him. Her eyes threw him for a loop. _Maybe I have seen her before…_

"I'm sorry, have we met before?" asked Goten, who had been thinking the same, "You look awfully familiar."

The woman smiled slowly, assessing both Trunks and Goten from head to toe, "Spare me. I hope you can do better than that."

"Oh, it wasn't a pick-up line," said Goten, with a sheepish grin, "I was really asking… you just remind me of someone."

"Oh, really? Who might that be," she asked, leaning back in her chair and sipping her martini. She didn't really seem interested.

Trunks and Goten looked at each other in confusion. The woman showed no signs of warmth or invitation. Instead she was challenging both of them. Trunks frowned—there was also something familiar about her energy… it was slightly stronger than the average human. Yes, he could sense it now. Her energy was far above the energy level of anyone in the club: that must be why he and Goten were attracted to her. Perhaps she did martial arts as a hobby?

Goten ran his eyes over the woman's body, taking in the curve of her breasts straining against her silver gown, and her toned arms and legs. For some reason the muscular definition of her legs, or what little was visible through the slit in her gown, made him think of Videl's legs when she'd fought at the Martial Arts tournament in shorts.

"You look a bit like my sister," said Trunks, covering up Goten's blunder and his staring, "She's also very beautiful. Perhaps you've heard of her: Bra Briefs?"

"Oh, sure," said the woman, apathetically, "So that's who you are."

She slipped the rest of the martini down her throat, "It was nice meeting you boys, but I have to run."

"Wait!" said Goten, panicking in this new situation. He hadn't been blown off like this in years, "I'm sorry, have we done something to offend you?"

"Not really," she said, shrugging and glancing at her watch, "You just haven't done anything to impress me either. For starters you were too busy gawking at me to introduce yourselves properly. In case you haven't noticed, we're not in high school."

"Please, forgive our rudeness," began Trunks in his most suave and sensual manner, and sliding his fingers around the wrist of the girl as she tried to pull away. She looked back at him in surprise, her dark eyes flickering from Trunks to Goten with something of alarm in them.

"My name is Trunks Briefs," he said, and lifted her hand to his lips to kiss it, letting his lips linger there for far too long.

"So I gathered," she said, observing his actions without enthusiasm. She looked disappointed, as though she might yawn.

"I'm Goten Son," said his companion, taking her other hand and giving it the same gentlemanly treatment.

Trunks and Goten glanced at each other smugly, knowing that no woman could resist this double-attack of charm. It was their special technique.

_Nice one, man, _said Trunks to Goten telepathically.

_We haven't done that in a while, _thought Goten, _so which of us do you think she has the hots for?_

_Let's see. The first person she looks at, _thought Trunks.

The woman raised her eyebrows and glanced at her watch, "How charming. Well, it was nice meeting you both, but I really need to go."

_Did she look at you or me? _

_Neither, you fool! She looked at her goddamned watch._

She pulled her hands away from them and grabbed her small silver purse, before turning to leave.

"Wait!" shouted Trunks, also panicking at the rejection, "You didn't even tell us your name."

"You didn't ask," she said, attempting to slip through the crowds. Goten caught her wrist this time.

"Please," said Goten, giving his most adorable and innocent puppy dog eyes, "What is your name?"

She looked at him, hesitating. She glanced back at her watch.

"Why do you need to rush away? Won't you stay for a moment?" asked Trunks, and he moved close to her, placing the palm of his hand lightly against her lower back. It was a gentlemanly touch, but what no one knew is that he sent the tiniest amount of energy into her body, warming her insides. It was his signature move, guaranteed to get any woman in the mood.

However, this indigo-haired beauty simply glared at him, and yanked his hand away from her body as though she knew what he'd done. She turned her back to them, this time determined to leave, but she threw a final glance over her bare shoulder condescendingly. Midnight black-blue eyes burned into them both like fire.

"Please give it a rest, boys," she advised with a sweet smile touching her full lips, "Unfortunately, I'm too much woman for the both of you to handle."

She drank in their shocked reactions for a moment, savouring their speechlessness, before her watch began to beep and she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

"What the _hell_ was that!" asked Trunks angrily, "I used my ki trick on her!"

"You did! No wonder," said Goten frowning, "You probably used too much and hurt her. Great job in scaring her away."

"I can't believe we didn't even get her fucking name!" complained Trunks, "Did you see her, Goten? The most gorgeous woman I've ever seen."

"I saw her, man. I hope it's not the last time. That body… that hair…"

"I just hope you know that eventually she'll choose me."

"No way, man. She'll choose me."

Meanwhile, in a dark alley a few blocks away, the indigo-haired woman was leaning against a brick wall and laughing hysterically. Part of her was concerned about ruining the dress, so she tried to contain herself, but another part could care less, and let the hilarious mania take control of her body.

"Too much woman for the both of you to handle!" she said, mimicking herself and throwing her arms up in the air, "Too much woman for the both of you to handle!"

_I'm too great, too amazing, too devious_, she thought in delight, _I'm definitely too much to handle—too much power and brains packed into one gorgeous body_. Her watch started beeping extremely loudly and she realized that she had to get away from the area. She opened her silver purse and un-capsulated a special dark vehicle, with the windows tinted so dark that it was impossible to see inside. That wasn't the only special feature of the automobile, as it could also conceal the energy that was within it. The girl slid into the driver's seat. Instead of having a normal console in the center separating the driver and passenger seat, the car had a single bench.

She looked at her watch again, "One minute."

She began to drive, intending to get very far away from this location. When one minute was nearly complete, her watch beeping faster and faster, she pulled over to the side of the road and put the car in park, leaning back and waiting.

It happened then. With a flash of light, her body separated. Two girls sat in the vehicle where there had only been one.

"I hate it when that happens," said the one who had been flung against the passenger door. She moved her hands up to touch her face, running them over her aqua hair.

"I agree," said the dark haired one who had already put the car back in gear and was already pressing her silver strappy high heel down to accelerate the vehicle.

Once the car was moving, the driver sighed, looking at her arms and using one hand to feel her legs and body, "The more often we fuse, the less complete I feel when we separate."

"I know. It's nice to be someone else… while still being myself. Para is me too."

"I know what you mean."

"Of course you do."

The two girls laughed, but there was a hint of sadness in their voices.

"Should we have told them our name? Is it safe to call ourselves Para?"

"I don't think so," said the driver, "They might figure out it's us. Even if they don't, their parents might. We have to find a pseudonym. How about… Unity? Or Harmony?"

"Does Para look like a Harmony?"

"I don't know. She looks like something so unbelievable and out of this world… she deserves a legendary name. Why don't we let her decide sometime?"

"Sure, that sounds good. Well, Pan, phase one of your crazy plan initiated. Do you think this will all work out?"

"It's too soon to tell, Bra. I guess we have to make every thirty minutes count."

* * *

_Two weeks ago…_

A feminine hand clad in a black leather fingerless glove pulled a hard left on the steering wheel, manoeuvring to avoid a car that had swerved into the way at the last second. The woman's face remained emotionless, but she felt anger rise up inside of her at the other driver's reckless act. She raised her hand, palm facing forward and fingers spread apart as she breathed deeply.

"Oh, I could just…"

She tried to calm her rising ki by visualizing the situation that would occur if she released all that pent up power which hummed at her fingertips. She could just imagine the blast emanating from her volcanic centre, ripping through her windshield, obliterating that car and driver in mere moments, and then continuing on to clear out the highway for the next few dozen kilometres.

She sighed, and fought to control her twitching fingers, forcing them back down onto the steering wheel placidly. She knew all too well how much it would cost to replace her windshield.

Smoke drifted up from between her fingers as her ki-heated hands burned into the rubbery-plastic material of the steering wheel. The foul smell reached her delicate senses, and she felt sick.

_Damn you, Trunks. How could you._

She knew that the heart of her anger wasn't caused by reckless drivers. It was the sting of lingering betrayal.

Her cell phone buzzed against her hip annoyingly, and she fought the urge to crush it. She hadn't answered her phone in weeks, why would anyone still bother to call? In a routine movement she flicked open the protector and looked at the ID. It was Bra. Her friend had been calling her periodically every few hours all day. Why wouldn't she leave her alone? She pressed the silencing button and focused her eyes back on the road.

She liked to drive just with her fingertips. She liked the idea that her body was flying through the air, and direction was controlled just by her fingertips. It reminded her of what made her special: her strength. The phone rang again.

Pan was surprised to see Bra double-calling. Twice in a minute. True sign of emergency. She quickly scanned all the large kis she could sense on the planet and felt nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone was totally powered down. Emotional emergency, then.

"Yes, Bra?" she answered.

"Pan…"

That one word said everything. Pan slammed on the brakes. She could hear the helplessness in her friend's small voice, and the despair. She had known Bra for her entire life, and she knew her every emotion as though it were her own. She knew what had happened.

"I'm on my way."

She got out of the car and capsulated it, powering up slightly before taking off into the air toward her friend's energy signal. _Damn you, Goten. You're a disgrace to my family. You're just like him._

* * *

"You promised you wouldn't hurt her," Trunks was saying, his arms crossed across his chest, glaring at his friend. Goten very rarely came to visit him during his office hours.

"Come on, man. You know how it is," Goten laughed, scratching his head in an embarassed posture, "She was great, but… I was just starting to feel old. I couldn't stand the marriage hints either. I shouldn't have to explain this to you… look at what you've…"

"Well, why shouldn't you have married my sister? You've been with her for years and things seemed to be going great. " Trunks removed his glasses to polish them nervously.

"I don't know. I guess when I saw that you were free and living the life again I felt jealous. I know that we're not that young, but I still feel young and… I want things to be like they used to be. Fun and no-strings. I want to party with you."

"Don't blame this on me!" shouted Trunks, but he understood Goten's reasons all too well. "She really loves you."

"Well, Pan really loves you. It didn't stop you from…"

"Yes, I know what I did. Let's not talk about it, Goten. Forget them. You do what you want; I'll do what I want."

"That sounds like a plan to me."

Goten cocked his head to the side, feeling a huge ki skyrocketing, "Pan is angry. She knows what I did."

"You'd better be careful, she's actually kept up with her training. She'll make you pay in blood for this," Trunks fingered the newest scar on his face.

Goten looked at his friend, "Yeah, in addition to the thing with Bra, she will definitely take out her anger at you on me."

"Sorry, man."

"Oh well, it can't be that bad," said Goten, "What's the worst she could do?"

"They both love us," said Trunks, "They could never really hurt us. We're family."

"Yeah, I didn't think we could hurt them either."

"This is messed up, man."

* * *

"Bra, why in Dende's name are you…"

Pan felt sick. She had flown to Bra's waterfront home, and let herself in. She had headed straight for the energy signal which was upstairs, frowning as she entered the bedroom. Bra wasn't in sight, so she had continued to follow the energy to the bathroom.

When she opened the door, the strong scent of her uncle overwhelmed her before the door was even fully open. When it was, she saw Bra, naked, huddled in a corner of the shower stall. She immediately took in the surroundings. Bra's clothes were strewn all over the floor, and there was dark dried blood dripping down the shower stall.

"Dende, Bra are you hurt?" Pan immediately moved to comfort her friend, crawling into the shower stall and crouching beside her. Pan spotted Bra's cell phone sitting in a pool of water nearby. Amazing the thing hadn't short-circuited.

"Bra-chan?" Pan asked in a soft voice, brushing her friend's hair off her face. She was shocked by something then. Bra's hair was perfectly dry. Her skin was perfectly dry. There was no water in the shower, just the dried blood dripping down the glass walls.

"Bra! Talk to me!" said Pan firmly, and then she spoke directly to Bra's mind, _Why didn't you call me telepathically? I would have come immediately. How long have you been like this?_

Bra snapped out of her little daze then and looked up at her friend, whispering, "Since yesterday."

"Is this your blood?" Pan asked. Bra shook her head to indicate it wasn't, but she didn't speak.

"Well, then it must be Goten's blood. Good."

Bra looked up at her friend in surprise. Pan's eyes were dark and cloudy, "Just tell me what he did to you, and I'll make him bleed a lot more than this."

"It… wasn't that bad, Pan," said Bra, weakly, "He didn't hurt me. He was very gentle and loving."

"What did he say?" asked Pan. _Sure, he didn't hurt you. That's why you're curled up naked in a ball in a blood-filled shower_.

"That it was all a mistake."

Pan felt her ki rising as she looked at Bra's sweet innocent eyes. Bra refused to say a negative thing about Goten, even after all this. She refused to condemn him for the lying, cheating scum he was.

Bra felt the waves of heat radiating off Pan, and lifting her hair, and she felt a small smile touch her lips. She hadn't realized that she had been so cold. Pan's warm angry energy surrounded Bra's skin like a comforting blanket. As her lips curled they cracked, revealing how dry they had become from the salty tears that had been running over them for so many hours.

"He fucked you and he left you?" Pan asked, visibly shaking.

Bra closed her eyes at the words, the pain rushing back. She nodded.

Pan stared at her friend who was as pale as a ghost. She would never let Goten get away with this. She would find a way... a way to make sure he was on the floor and broken. _Goten will regret the day he ever did this to her. She was the last person who deserved this, she was always true to him and devoted. I'll make Goten pay. I'll hurt him so deeply, so terribly… I'll ruin his life. Damn you, Trunks! I mean, Goten. _

"Thank you, Pan," said Bra softly.

"What for?" she asked.

"For being here. I needed you."

Pan felt guilt wash over her when she remembered that she had been ignoring Bra's phone calls all day. _It's partly my fault she's like this. If I had been a better friend…_

Pan saw a single tear run down Bra's face and it snapped her out of her guilt and anger. She put her arms around Bra and held her close, ignoring that she was naked. Bra leaned against Pan and let the tears fall freely.

_I'll get him for you, Bra._

* * *

There's chapter one! Hope you like the concept.

If you want to come chat with other readers, feel free to join our Facebook group: Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak. In the event that I need to take this story down again, all the chapters and reviews will be saved there. =)


	2. Neither and Both

_Chapter Two: Neither and Both_

And moving right along!

~PanHopeNvs~

* * *

"Dende, it's her!" breathed Goten in absolute wonder, "She's come back, Trunks!"

Trunks turned to look in the direction that Goten was staring. The woman with the knee-length shining indigo hair had entered the VIP lounge again. She was wearing silver once more, but a different style of clothing.

"Don't screw this up, Goten," Trunks warned, standing up to approach the girl, with Goten close behind him.

She turned to face them, and her face displayed surprise and pleasure. They saw the ghost of a smile play across her mysterious features.

"Hello Trunks and Goten," she said, "I fear I was a bit rude the last time we met."

"No, miss," said Trunks, moving close to her, "My friend and I were a bit forward with you. I apologize."

"I'm very sorry, miss," said Goten, inclining his head in a gentle bow, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

_Please. Like they mean these apologies,_thought Para, but she only smiled and let her eyes shine at them trustfully, "It's quite alright."

"Can we buy you a drink?" asked Trunks, gesturing to the corner booth where she had been seated last time.

"Yes, that would be lovely," said Para, "I usually have the chocolate martini."

"That one's delicious!" said Goten, cheerfully, as he moved to sit in the booth.

_I think I am less sexually attracted to them when I am fused,_Para pondered as she slid into the booth beside Goten, _maybe because I'm related to both of them._

Trunks returned with the drinks and a handsome smile, as he slid into the booth on the other side of Para.

"Thank you, Trunks," she said kindly, and then cast her eyes down to the table.

"You're very welcome. I hope today you will think we are deserving of knowing your name."

Para looked up at Trunks, making eye contact with him. _My brother. My love. You bastard. I love you so much. I hate your filthy guts. I hope that you feel great pleasure and pain very soon at my hands._

"My name is Medea," said Para, after briefly scanning her mind. It was the name of a great woman of Mythology who had loved her husband, and even helped him kill a dragon, only to have her husband betray her by marrying another woman. She did take her revenge, however. She also killed her brother. The thought brought a lovely smile to her lips, and Trunks smiled back, enchanted.

"Medea," said Goten, smiling, "What a beautiful and unusual name."

She looked into Goten's dark eyes and remembered that in the legend Medea had chopped her brother's body into lots of pieces. _Lots of pieces for you, my uncle. My love._

Para looked at her watch, sighing, "I can't stay for very long, I have to run to the hospital soon."

"The hospital?" asked Goten, "Are you a nurse?"

She felt an urge to snap, _No! A doctor!_However, Bra and Pan had given this some forethought and decided to give Para the same job as Pan. The only job that could require someone to be so busy that they needed to be available 24/7 and rush away without warning was a doctor: particularly one in residency. Trunks and Goten both knew how that stage of her career had been on Pan, and how she'd worked an average of far over 100 hours a week. The girls thought they were likely to go a bit easier on Para running off to un-fuse if they thought the real reason was that she was under the same stress Pan had been.

"I'm not a nurse. I'm a resident doctor," she answered as planned, "I work on-call."

"Wow, you look too young to be a doctor!" was Goten's first remark, "I would have guessed you were 18 when I first saw you. No more than 20 surely!"

"How old are you, Medea?" asked Trunks.

_Of course, I forget to plan this one. Well, I can't tell them I'm 26 or 27, because I do look younger. No suggestions that I might not be human._

"I'm 22," she answered, improvising, "I skipped a few grades and graduated early."

"Ah, you must be really sharp. I know residency can be very challenging," said Trunks understandingly, "My close friend is a doctor as well."

"Oh, is that so? Do I know him?" asked Para. _Does he mean Pan? Me?_

"Her name is Pan Son, she's Mr. Satan's granddaughter," said Trunks, smiling proudly.

_What the hell, Trunks? Are you using me, Pan, as part of your game to pick up chicks? You must be really old and running out of ideas._Para laughed, "Oh yes, I know her. She's quite brilliant."

"Pan is actually his ex-girlfriend, and my niece," Goten volunteered, "They only recently broke up… and it was messy. Very messy."

Trunks glared at Goten to shut up and Goten smiled at him sweetly.

"Not as messy as your breakup with your ex-girlfriend," contributed Trunks, "I think you bled more than I did."

"Externally," sang Goten cheerfully.

"It seems you gentlemen both have a lot of baggage. Dark haunting pasts?" asked Para in a sensual voice, leaning back, trying to keep a frown from her face, and trying to keep her ki down at the memories. _Yes, I did make Trunks bleed internally, didn't I? Anyway, this is__delicious. To see them both talk about us without realizing it._

"No," said Trunks, "No baggage. It was just a mistake. What about you, Medea? Have you had any recent relationships?"

_Just a mistake! That bull again._Para hid the pain she felt, and just smiled, "Not recently. I fear that I never really have the time for relationships. All I really have is a few minutes here and there to sit in a nice club and have a drink. Take a little time to fantasize about anything other than work…"

"What do you fantasize about?" asked Goten softly, moving to pick up his drink and brushing his arm slowly against her arm.

_So obviously intentional, Goten. Yet I feel this body responding to your touch. Dammit, Para, control. Maybe I am still sexually attracted to them, even though part of me is related._Para turned to Goten, letting her eyelids flutter half closed, "I dream of sandy beaches and tropical paradises. Staying in bed all day with someone I love, not having to work so hard. I dream of silly things… being rescued by someone strong from some kind of danger. Some terrible adversity, and together we overcome it in an exciting battle where he protects me at all costs."

_And I fantasize about hurting you both. A lot. A whole lot._Para opened her eyes and breathed deeply, looking at the men she was pressed in between. Their individual scents wafted into her saiyan nostrils, mingling, and she wondered if she had intentionally said the thing about battle because she knew it would resonate with them, or if it had just come out naturally as something she actually wanted. She blushed and laughed lightly, sipping her drink.

"That's so beautiful, Medea," said Trunks, moving a bit closer to her and letting his breath move her hair against her ear, "It sounds like you want a little adventure and a little pleasure."

Para turned to him, studying his lips, which she had kissed so many times, she turned to Goten, and observed the same feature from the same perspective. _And it's clear to me now, you two never really loved me, you just wanted to fuck me. I can't do this._

Her watch beeped and she looked at it thankfully, "Thank you so much for the drink and the conversation, gentlemen, but I must be going."

"Already?" asked Goten. He slid his hand onto her bare thigh and squeezed slowly. "Please, won't you stay a few minutes longer?"

She felt an odd combination of arousal and betrayal at Goten's gesture. She looked at him sadly, "I wish I could stay."

She felt another hand on her other thigh, but this one slid a few inches higher, with the fingers resting just under the fabric of the hem of her dress. The touch sent shivers through her.

"Please, Medea. Skip work and spend some time with us," Trunks pleaded. Para looked up at his face, reading his expression, _Kami, but you're shameless._

_They must be communicating telepathically,_Para thought to herself. _They must be actually planning this. Trunks and Goten both trying to have sex with me. They're probably wondering who I'm going to choose._

Para looked at the men on either side of her, touching her legs, and she imagined them sliding their hands a little higher… both of them touching her at the same time. The thought made her stomach roll over and her arousal intensified. She stretched back and wiggled in her seat a little, imitating discomfort, and they both removed their hands. She hoped that her movement would send the subtle scent of her own arousal to both of them, so that they could be as affected as she was.

_What if I choose both of you?_

"I'm so sorry… I can't stay. I have to go," she said, looking at her watch nervously, even though there was plenty of time. She acted like she was uncomfortable, and tried to move out of the booth in the direction of Trunks, but he wouldn't budge.

"Please, excuse me," she said, pushing her body against his, letting her breasts brush against him, but he still didn't move. He only fixed her with a strange expression. _Boner-face, Trunks? Tsk, tsk, so you have a thing for strange women you meet in a bar whose skirts you can put your fingers under._

She then moved to the other side, trying to make Goten scoot over, but she had a similar problem with him. He wouldn't move, so she pressed herself against him in a fake attempt to make him scoot over. She 'accidentally' allowed her hand to brush his groin, and pretended she didn't notice.

"Gentlemen, please!" she pleaded, "I have to go to work, will someone let me out?"

"Stay, Medea," begged Goten, in his innocent childlike way.

"Please stay," Trunks asked as well.

This time, she felt two similar waves of warm energy, extremely small, but palpable, drifting over her breasts. She felt another two waves caress her lower abdomen. She shuddered and put a hand onto her stomach. _Dende! They're coordinating energy attacks in order to seduce a woman by spreading heat through her body? Ridiculous. Brilliant! This is really working on me and I KNOW what's going on. How many women have they done this to? Probably dozens. The women probably thought they were in love, that it was the heat of emotion or a divine sign. Why did they never do this to me? I guess they knew that I understood energy and would figure them out. So they want a clueless woman they can easily control. Well, I'll pretend to be that._

"I really do want to stay," she said, in a breathless voice, "You both are so… warm and I feel so good around you. But I have to go. I really… need to go."

"What if we don't let you?" asked Goten huskily, placing a hand on her arm.

"What if we keep you trapped?" asked Trunks, leaning in with a playful tone.

_Casting a magic spell on me, boys? One second you're working against each other as rivals, the next moment together, as allies. Kind of like me_, thought Para, _like Bra and Pan working together to get what we want._Her watch beeped, snapping her out of the train of thought. Now time really was running out.

"Please forgive me," she whispered, and snatching her silver purse again, she promptly began to climb over Trunks, sitting in his lap for a second and enjoying the feeling of his hard erection pressing fully against her bottom, before sliding off and leaving the booth.

"Wait!" called Goten.

"I can't!" she said, turning to leave and all but running away. Goten blurred and appeared in front of her, and while she easily could have dodged him, or stopped herself, or blurred past him, she allowed herself to "accidentally" run into his body as a human girl would have. He caught her before she could execute a fake fall.

She gasped and pressed a hand to her chest in mock surprise and exclaimed, "My heavens, you're fast!" _Slowpoke, you should really train more._

"I know," he said, smiling and holding her, "I didn't want to let you leave again without knowing your phone number."

"Oh, but I really have to go!" she pleaded, pulling away from him, "I'll tell you another time."

As she backed away from Goten, she ran right into Trunks who grasped both her arms to steady her, his fingers grazing the sides of her breasts. The tantalizing touch was too much. She wanted to just lean back against him and let him touch her however he wanted to. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, "We might never see you again. Please, Medea. Your phone number."

She turned her head then, letting her cheek graze his and her giant mass of indigo hair tickle his neck, "Alright, Trunks. Goten. I'll tell you the number."

Goten grabbed a napkin and pen and jotted the numbers down. Para's watch began to beep frantically. 5 minutes left of fusion.

"I hope we meet again," she said, making eye contact with each of them and smiling her best Son smile before leaving. When she was clear of them she opened her purse and popped a pill in her mouth quickly. It was a heavy sedative which would lower her ki to almost untraceable amounts. So she couldn't be followed. She then moved quickly through the streets before finding a quiet area where she could open her capsule car.

"That was insane," she said to herself when she was sitting safely behind the wheel and driving away. When the timer on the watch indicated one minute, she pulled over to the side of the road again to un-fuse.

Bra's head went crashing into the passenger side window again, while Pan bounced off the driver door and fell right into the seat where she preferred to be.

"It's kind of nice to be myself again, this time," said Bra, rubbing her head. She buckled up her seatbelt in the passenger side. The sedative had made her a bit drowsy and she curled her feet up in the seat.

"I know. It's nice that we can talk to each other about what just happened instead of Para just speaking to herself."

"So, she chose the name Medea?" said Bra with a chuckle, "I like to think I might have influenced that."

"We both did," said Pan with a wink at her friend. She sighed, and leaned back against the seat of the car, "I can't believe they're trying so hard to seduce women like that almost instantly after breaking up with us."

"The way they work together…" said Bra, shaking her head, "They must have been doing that since we were toddlers."

"I think I understand them a bit more," said Pan, "After being fused together with you… I understand their connection more. I don't understand WHY they do this, but I think that after Trunks broke up with me, Goten naturally had to break up with you."

"That would have made no sense to me a few days ago," mumbled Bra, "But I get it. They have to be in phase with each other completely to be comfortable."

"If one of them is in love, the other has to be as well… I guess we didn't matter much to them after all. We were just there. Maybe another one of their joint projects. 'Let's seduce and fuck each other's family members.'"

"That sounds so harsh, but maybe you're right. Anyway, they are OUR joint project now," said Bra with a smile, "We're still going to cause him pain, right Pan?"

Pan nodded, "I hope it works out the way we want it to. Lies and deception usually end badly."

"They were lying and deceiving us the whole time," said Bra, crossing her arms, "I really thought Goten loved me. I saw no signs whatsoever of anything being amiss."

Pan glanced over at her friend and sighed, choosing to speak to Bra with her mind instead of her voice, _I can feel the way you feel about him when we're fused. He doesn't deserve that much love, Bra. Not after what he's done to you._

Bra glared at her friend, responding likewise, _Dende, Pan. I could say the exact same to you. The exact same. Trunks doesn't deserve your adoration! You should end these feelings. I felt your love and your desire for him as though it were my own. I've never felt so much passion and_need_for my brother. For Dende's sake! I just sat on his goddamned erection for you!_

Pan burst out laughing at the ridiculous image. Bra joined in. The two girls laughed for a moment without being able to stop.

_Well, Bra, we're even. I just practically grabbed my uncle's penis for you._

Bra squealed and let out something between a giggle and a gasp, and they both launched into a fit of laughter again. Pan's body was shaking so much that her chin hit the horn on the steering wheel and honked it rather loudly, which made her sit straight up with a start. Of course, they both knew that technically neither of them had done those things, and it was the unique combination of both of their bodies and minds which had chosen to initiate those suggestive sexual acts, but it sure was fun to take responsibility for Para's wickedness.

"I guess we should get out of here," said Pan with a smile, beginning to drive them home again.

After a few moments of driving, Bra mused, "Pan, even if we don't achieve what we initially intended to do by fusing into Para, I want you to know that I've already learned so much from training with you, and doing this whole thing. It's been painful at times, and fun at times, but I really have learned a lot about myself, about you, about them. It's helped to heal me a bit. I hope it's helped to make me strong and smart enough that I can avoid getting hurt like that again."

Pan glanced to friend at her side, and for the first time since Trunks trampled on her heart she felt truly happy. Like she'd done something right. She'd made her friend feel better.

She smiled, looking back at the road, thinking, _We're so screwed up, Bra!_

_I know, right?_ Bra grinned, feeling the cheerfulness in the thought. _Well, at least we're in this together, whatever happens. Let them deal with the monster they created!_

* * *

_Two weeks ago…_

Pan had put the kettle on to make tea and had a pot of noodles boiling. Bra was curled up in a corner of the sofa. Pan sensed her friend's weak energy signal and sighed. She quickly made the tea and went into the room and to sit beside her friend. Bra hadn't moved from her huddled position in the shower. Pan had tugged a dress over her naked body and flown her down into the sofa, and covered her with a blanket, but Bra had remained oblivious to all of this.

Sometimes she spoke to Pan, but most of the time she buried inside of her own mind. Pan knew she needed to drag her out.

"Bra. I want you to be angry at him."

She didn't respond. Pan sent the thought at her, with a wave of her own anger, _Bra! I want you to be angry at him._

Bra looked up then, her eyes meeting Pan with confusion, "No."

"Why the hell not, Bra?" Pan grabbed her friend's shoulders and gave her a shake, "You're the Princess of all Saiyans. You're the princess of our noble warrior race, the daughter of Vegeta. How are you going to let some low-class Saiyan scum like Goten use you like this? He CAN'T do this. He's not allowed to!"

"I love him."

"Tell me you hate him, or else I won't give you this steaming hot delicious tea," said Pan, circling the cup under her friend's nose. Injured or not, there was no way her saiyan nostrils could avoid this point-blank tease.

Bra cracked a small smile, taking the cup with her hands through the blanket, "OK, I hate him."

She sipped on the tea. Pan thanked Dende for that little smile.

_Pan, please don't tell my daddy_, Bra spoke in her mind.

Pan sighed, _Well, fine then. But I'm going to have to give him a Vegeta-worthy beating myself._

_No, Pan,_she thought, _he didn't hurt me physically. I don't want to hurt him physically. I want to hurt him inside._

That thought clicked somewhere in Pan's mind, and she stared at Bra sipping her tea, _Me too. Me too._

_I want him to suffer, Pan, just like I am right now. I want him to fall in love so deeply with someone, his soulmate, and to have her do the worst possible thing to him._

"That's my girl, Bra," said Pan, glad that her friend's spirit was being revived.

_I wish I could think of a way to make that happen. I guess he'd have to be capable of love first._

_Isn't he?_

_I thought he loved me. I thought he was going to ask me to marry him. I wanted to have his children._

Pan stood up suddenly and walked to Bra's sliding double doors which exited onto her patio overlooking the ocean. She slid the doors open carefully, and flew a few meters away from Bra's house. She then arched her back, bringing her hands to her sides. Two medium-sized balls of ki begun forming there, and Pan let loose a murderous scream before firing her blasts into the sky above the water. She then began to charge a blast on each hand alternatively and rapidly assaulted the empty sky. One hand. One blast. Fire. One hand. One blast. Fire. One hand. One blast. Fire.

_Pan, calm down. You're going to bring our fathers out here if you keep that up._

_I'll stop, just one more._Pan put both hands in front of her and charged up a giant energy ball before yelling and letting it go into space. She smiled then, and wiped her forehead, walking back inside.

Bra was standing up, holding the blanket around herself tightly, "Does that really help?"

"A little bit. No, not really, I guess. But I hope Goten is shitting himself."

"It's not fair, Pan. I'd do anything I possibly could if I knew there was a possibility it would…"

Bra paused. She thought of Goten, and she thought of how he'd come home to her, happy and sweet as usual, and made love to her in the shower, holding her protectively. She thought of how as soon as he'd finished, as soon as he'd found his release, before he'd even pulled out of her, he was telling her apathetically it was over. Then he pulled out of her body and ripped her heart away with it. She thought of Trunks, and how he'd promised the world to Pan. She thought of how he'd cheated on her, and left her with enough anger to blow up the earth every couple minutes. Anger generated to mask grief. She searched for the right words, then opened her mouth to speak at the same moment Pan did.

"Make him suffer."

They both said this at the same time, and looked at each other in surprise.

"Make who suffer?" asked Bra in a whisper, realizing that she'd been thinking of both of them, "Trunks or Goten?"

Pan nodded, understanding her question, "Neither of them, and yet both of them."

"Gotenks," said Bra, with a cryptic smile.

"With neither of us, yet both of us."

"...Para?"

* * *

Weee. Bad girls, bad girls.

What do you think? If you enjoy my writing, please check out "Drowning Mermaids" which is the first novel I ever wrote and published. It available for free as an ebook on all eReaders!=) (It is also the first book of a 5 part series, because, as you can see, I only write epic stories.)

Hope you liked the chappy. =)


	3. She Becomes Poison

_Chapter Three: She Becomes Poison_

It's interesting to write from Para's perspective. I watched the episodes of fused Gotenks and Gogeta, and they alternatively use "I" and "We"—it's like they can't decide who they are. "I am they. We are one." When they refer to family members, they refer to them by their relationship names. Gotenks calls Bulma "mom." It's like a constant struggle for dominance, with separate identities taking over on occasion as necessary… and yet it's a different person altogether. The fusions are so silly and childish and ARROGANT because of the great power they gain. I like to think a female fusion wouldn't be quite AS bad, but still pretty messed up. Anyway! Here we go.

~PanHopeNvs~

* * *

Pan was woken up by a loud noise she didn't recognize. _Music? _She didn't lift her face from the pillow as she reached out and felt around for the source of the sound. _Where am I? What is that? Why do I feel like I've been hit by a truck? Oh yes, the sedatives to lower Para's power level. PARA! _Her eyes shot open then and she turned her head slightly so that one eye could look at her surroundings. She saw the ocean through a giant pane of glass. _So this is why Bra lives on the waterfront. What a spectacular view._

Your cruel device  
Your blood, like ice  
One look, could kill  
My pain, your thrill

Pan pulled herself up onto her knees and realized that the sound she heard was the Para Phone ringing. Bra had programmed two cell phones for the girls so that both phones would transmit a voice that sounded like Para when spoken through. That way Pan and Bra could answer the phone as Para from anywhere, even when separate. Both phones couldn't transmit voice at the same time, although they both could transmit incoming sound. This would avoid them double-answering if they picked up at the same time, but allowed them both to listen to the call. They intended to coordinate telepathically who would answer the phone before picking up, regardless.

Bra had also, apparently, programmed the phones to play the ringtone "Poison," for this is the noise Pan had awoken to:

I want to love you but I better not touch  
I want to hold you, but my senses tell me to stop  
I want to kiss you but I want it too much  
I want to taste you but your lips are venomous poison  
You're poison running through my veins  
You're poison—I don't want to break these chains

Pan listened to song and could not suppress a smile, wondering whether it was Goten or Trunks calling. They had both called her a million times, and she had never felt like this before. Whoever it was, he wasn't calling _her_; he was calling part of her, part of her that existed in a dreamlike state. She might as well be dreaming when she was Para. That's what it felt like. Not totally in control.

Para was a dream of falling. Even though Pan knew full well in both her conscious and subconscious mind that she could control her ki to keep her from falling, that she could fly, for some reason she simply couldn't in some dreams. As much as she tried, she was robbed of her powers. However, Para wasn't a dream like that, the kind that robbed you of your abilities and played with your insecurities.

Para gave pure power. She was the dream where you could fly endlessly through the open skies without a trace of fear or pessimism. Fly without needing a spaceship through the galaxies to distant planets. She was the dream where you tried to catch the rainbow… and it burst into a kaleidoscope of even more varying rich and dazzling colour which you could hold and twist in your hands. She was the dream of being born again, with all the wisdom and joy you ever possessed, multiplied exponentially.

Para was the dream that Goku was alive and well, that he had not been taken away over a decade ago, and that his uplifting smile and warm hugs were something accessible. She was the dream where Baby, or Super Android 17, or Omega Shenron, or all of them together were attacking Goku, and Pan somehow had the power to defeat them all, all by herself. Well, not by herself. With her best friend.

Para really was pure power. It was so challenging to suppress her ki, to make her seem like a normal human when sensed, that Pan had to raid the hospital she worked at for drugs to accomplish the feat. Pan could only imagine… if both girls could someday power up to their maximums (well, Bra's maximum, and Pan adjusting her power level to match that) and fuse, and then go Super Saiyan… maybe even ascend to the second or third levels. Para's power would be immense. It would be incredible.

It was almost a shame her talents were being wasted on two foolish boys. On playing a game. _We deserve this revenge. They played games with our hearts. Why can't we play too? _

Your mouth, so hot  
Your web, I'm caught  
Your skin, so wet  
Black lace, on sweat

Everything was new. After being Goten's niece for her entire life, she'd never seen him from this twisted, hateful, sexual perspective. She would never think the same of him again.

After five years of belonging to Trunks, as his woman, as his girlfriend… it was new again. He looked at Para with an excitement that wasn't in his eyes anymore when he looked at Pan. She felt the same… it wasn't the feeling of falling in love all over again, but more the feeling of retracing her steps to find something she'd lost: her individuality. It was the undoing and unravelling of the fabric of their lives which had been carefully constructed on a now broken loom. It was the demolishing of a fortress, stone by stone.

In truth, theirs had been a good relationship. They had both been happy. Happy, but of course they had lost some of that initial thrill—had he stopped wanting her because he knew she was his? He already had her, there was no reason to desire what he already had. Why did he want Para so much? Only because she WASN'T Pan? She wasn't someone he could easily have his way with at any moment of the day, because he was assured of her love. This angered her. How long had he been screwing around on her? Why didn't he think what they had was special and electrifying? She had.

Pan fell back down onto the bed and rolled over, throwing her arms out, and letting the music save her from her train of thought. The waves of rhythm and song washed over her, and before she knew it she felt herself moving a tiny bit to the music.

I hear you calling and it's needles and pins  
I want to hurt you just to hear you screaming my name  
Don't want to touch you but you're under my skin  
I want to kiss you but your lips are venomous poison

_Bra, are you awake? Can you answer our phone?_ Pan asked. Bra was in the next room, and she probably could have heard Pan if she had yelled, but that wasn't very dignified. Since they'd begun this whole crazy plan, Pan had decided to move in with Bra for the time being. It was also much better than being alone for two girls who had just lost their lovers.

_What? _Even Bra's telepathic voice sounded groggy. She obviously had NOT been awake, _they're calling this early? No way, not my brother. Not your uncle. Must be a telemarketer. _

_It's not early, Bra. It's almost lunchtime. We must have been knocked out by those sedatives._

Pan lay in bed smiling. She should answer the phone. She would. Eventually. Or they could return the call later. The music was just so intoxicating, as was the situation.

You're poison running through my veins  
You're poison  
I don't want to break these chains  
Poison

Bra walked into the room in her pyjamas, rubbing her eyes. Her mouth dropped open when she saw that Pan was singing the song she had chosen for the ringtone and dancing ridiculously while still lying on the bed, completely ignoring the fact that either Goten or Trunks had been calling. Pan kept singing long after the song had stopped playing.

"Pan, are you okay?" asked Bra, "One of us was supposed to answer that."

Pan jumped up on the bed and struck a pose, "I hear you calling and it's needles and pins! I want to hurt you just to hear you screaming my name!"

Pan was singing and dancing on the bed without reservation.

Bra burst out laughing. "Pan! Do you think fusion can play with our sanity? Give us brain damage?"

"In my professional opinion: yes!" Pan held out her hands for Bra to join her. Bra smiled and joined Pan and the two girls jumped on the bed as though they were six years old, singing, "Don't want to touch you but you're under my skin! I want to kiss you but your lips are venomous POISON!"

"Hey Bra," said Pan, stopping for a moment in her dance-and-jump ecstasy, "You know that we're the poison now, right?"

"Yes, Pan, of course. Why do you think I chose that song? Para is a complete femme fatale. You and I are badass, of course—but she's _out of this world_."

"No, Bra!" said Pan, still jumping on the bed, but now pumping her fist as well, "I've travelled to distant galaxies and far off planets! I can honestly say that Para is out of this UNIVERSE! Anything she wants, she can have! It's all in the palm of her hands!"

Pan collapsed back down onto the bed and reached out her hands as if she were grabbing something, "Our 2 to 4 hands!"

"Alright, now that our insane morning dance is over," said Bra, sitting down, "We have to return that call. Which one of us is going to do it?"

"Why not let Para do it?"

"If we fuse in my house, it might be too obvious. They'll sense both of our energies here disappearing into one girl, it will betray us."

"Well…" suggested Pan, "We can suppress our kis again, drive the discreet car somewhere, and fuse elsewhere?"

"That sounds like a good idea. Why, I haven't even looked to see whether it was Trunks or Goten," Bra laughed, picking up the two Para phones, "How quaint. It seems we have a missed call from both of them and a text message from Trunks."

"Ooh, I want to read," said Pan, sitting up again and poking her face over Bra's shoulder.

The text message read:

_Medea,  
__Please allow me to take you out for dinner.  
__I'm nothing like Jason.  
__Trunks__  
_

Pan growled at the phone dangerously. Jason was Medea's husband in the myth. The husband who betrayed her.

"Well, I was having a good morning until I read that. It sounds just like him. Disgusting sweet-talker. You ARE Jason, Trunks! YOU ARE JASON. I think I need to be fused to think of a reply without exploding into a million pieces."

"Yeah," said Bra with a light nervous laugh, "Goten left a voicemail. Listen."

The phone went to speaker and the voice began to play:

"Hi Medea! Goten here. I can't get the image of you out of my mind, and I keep hearing every word you've said replay in my mind. Unfortunately, I haven't heard you say nearly enough words, so there's way too much repetition. How would you like to help me with this problem? I'd love to treat you to lunch."

Bra moaned, placing her face in her hands, "I think I need to be fused to listen to this. Right now, I'm just Bra, and he's trying his best to have sex with some girl he just met. It's humiliating how little he cares… but when I'm Para, it's a victory, it's just part of the plan."

"I don't want to answer either of them, Bra."

"Do you want to go to lunch _AND_ dinner? What do you have time for, aren't you scheduled at the hospital?"

"I can choose when I want to work now that I'm fully licensed. I am Mr. Satan's granddaughter after all. Do you want to go to lunch and dinner?"

"I don't know."

"Let's let Para decide," said Pan, "She'll know whether she's the kind of woman who goes out with Trunks or Goten or both or neither. Get dressed, I'll get some safe doses of sedatives ready for us. "

"Pan, are you sure you can do this? You realize that if things continue the way they are… well, there's going to be incest. Although I'm not sure if it's really incest… but…"

"I'm sure. Well, I can't do it. But we can. Right now, I'm just me, and I don't really want to go near Trunks or Goten unless it's to hurt them. Right now, those two are my life… my uncle, and my first and only love. That's why I need to fuse with you… it makes me emotionally stronger. I can do anything. I think when I'm Para… I can become poison. She becomes poison."

"Right. It doesn't matter who they are to us, or what they mean to us individually. Those two are just a game to Para. Seduce and destroy!"

"Just as long as we don't mess up and separate into two people while we're having sex with one of them. Especially not if it's Goten," said Pan, shuddering.

"Especially not if it's Trunks! We just really have to keep an eye on the time. I'm going to reconfigure a few more features into the watch."

Bra looked thoughtfully at the wall and then twitched as her cell phone suddenly rang. Not the Para Phone, but her own cell. She looked at it and frowned, pressing the silencing button, "It's my damned brother."

"Why don't you answer it?" asked Pan. Bra shook her head stubbornly.

Immediately, Pan's cell phone rang. Not the Para Phone, but her own cell. She glanced at it and looked back at Bra, "It's your damned brother."

"You should answer," said Bra.

"Why me? You didn't. I haven't spoken to him in weeks," said Pan, staring at the phone until it stopped ringing.

"Who are you kidding, Pan? You sat on his lap last night and shoved your breasts against him."

"Not me, we!" corrected Pan, putting her phone back down. She jumped as it instantly started ringing again, and then growled loudly. _Double-calling! Twice in a minute. Emergency? Someone had better be dying._

Pan raised her ki as much as possible within a few seconds, just to send him a be-aware message, and answered the call calmly, "Hello, Trunks."

"Pan… finally. Could you and Bra please stop ignoring my calls?"

"No. How may I help you?"

"I haven't been able to reach you or my sister in over a month. Dad and I noticed your kis were unusually low last night, we could barely sense them at all. Have you been training? Were you hurt or unconscious? Is everything OK?"

Pan remained silent, holding the phone and staring into space. The sound of his voice… she felt anger and nausea… and yearning. She couldn't speak. Bra tugged on her friend's pyjama sleeve when she saw her zoning out.

"Pan, are you there? Neither of you have called or visited. I'm used to seeing you both at the breakfast table at least half of the time, so I'm really starting to worry. I nearly flew over there last night to check on you…"

Her grip on the phone tightened and she felt her ki spreading throughout her body, intensifying and consuming her, "Trunks, stay away from me. Don't you think there's a valid reason we're ignoring you? Do you remember what happened the last time I saw you? If it weren't for your father and Goten both stepping in… I would have killed you, so help me."

"Pan, I'm so sorry. I deserved your rage… but you haven't even allowed me to explain. What you saw…"

"I'd like to hang up now. First I'll say this. Your sister is fine, and I am fine. You'll see us when you see us," she moved her finger to end the call.

"Pan, wait… I miss you."

Pan let loose a funny noise from deep in her throat. It hurt. His words still hurt. _Bad move, Trunks. Wrong thing to say right now. _She shifted the phone to her left hand, and let the other one extend out towards Bra, "Trunks, I have something which belongs to you, let me come and return it."

She began to release energy into a concentrated ball on her right palm.

"I guess I left a lot of things at your place, Pan. I have a lot of your stuff as well. What is it? You can come and return it anytime. Pan? Calm down, your power level is skyrocketing…"

She hung up the phone, and tossed it on the bed then, continuing to charge up the ball of ki. The energy sent Bra's hair flying backward and over her shoulders. Bra put her arms up instinctively and crossed them over her head, ready to block if necessary.

Bra panicked a bit, "Pan, you're not going to hit me with that, are you?"

The energy grew and Bra found herself sliding away from it and stumbling back into the wall, "Pan, I can't block that… I'm not joking… and my house is pretty expensive…"

Pan used the other hand, which had been holding the phone, to touch her forehead with two fingers, and in an instant she had transported through the air and landed right in front of Trunks, with her pre-made ki ball an inch from his face.

"This is for you," she said, letting the blast go at point-blank range. She didn't wait for the aftermath as she teleported directly back to Bra. She collapsed on the bed and curled up, staring dejectedly at her knees.

Bra straightened up the furniture that had been tossed around and tried to fix her aqua hair which had been blown out completely of place. She then put her hands on her hips and turned on her friend.

"Pan," said Bra, disapprovingly, "That wasn't part of our plan. We decided not to let them have any contact with our individual selves while we're doing this. Not to let them see us so that they won't get any hints."

"He didn't see me," Pan explained, rolling over and burying her face in the pillow, _All he saw was an explosion right in his face. How dare he try to apologize, try to tell me he misses me while trying to have sex with Para?_

Bra sighed, "Just don't lose your temper like that when we're fused together and give us away."

_Don't worry, Bra. I wouldn't do anything that might reveal our identities. _

Bra nodded and left the room, but a thought struck her and she turned around and ran back.

"PAN!" she screamed, "Your Instant Transmission worked!"

Pan looked up surprised then frowned, "Yes… I can get it to work sometimes when my power level's really high… and when I'm teleporting to _him_. Something about his energy. I guess I know it really intimately and I'm used to keeping track of where he is in the back of my mind… so it's easy to find. "

Bra smiled, "Fusion is really doing great things for our friendship."

"What do you mean?" Pan asked.

"You were able to teleport back to me," said Bra triumphantly, "I guess you must be intimately acquainted enough with my energy too."

Pan smiled in realization, "That's right. I did teleport back."

"You should train your Instant Transmission more," suggested Bra, "I'll help however I can. It could really help us if we ever get into a tight spot as Para."

"That's a great idea," said Pan, suddenly feeling cheerful again, "I think I'll fry up a few packs of bacon and a few trays of eggs for brunch."

* * *

_Later that evening…_

"This is kind of weird, Goten," Trunks admitted, straightening his bow tie.

"You're telling me? I am not used to having you along with me on my dates. You're going to cramp my style."

"This is the problem with dating doctors," Trunks complained, glancing at the menu, "They're always so busy. I can't believe she asked us both to be here, and we agreed."

"It was the only time she said she'd be free today," said Goten with a shrug, "I really wanted to see her again."

"As far as I can see she doesn't have a preference between the two of us," said Trunks in confusion, "Maybe that's why she asked to see us both together, so that she can decide."

"Well, how long is she going to take to make her decision? I want to sleep with her already," complained Goten, playing with his cufflinks.

"We'll just see about that," said Trunks with a smirk. Then he noticed the girl and blinked, "Dende."

Para entered the room, and drew the stares and glances of everyone in it. It was difficult to describe her. She made the word 'supermodel' sound small and trashy. She didn't look like one of earth's strongest warriors. She didn't look like the Princess of Saiyans. She exuded mystery, like a Goddess from beyond the stars. She wore a champagne-coloured gown, giving the effect of making her look almost nude, with a deep plunge neckline, and a hairstyle inspired by Pan's memory of Oceanus Shenron.

Of course, Pan and Bra had gotten ready for the date separately before fusing, and their clothes merged into a wonderful combination of what they both had chosen to wear. The most challenging part of the fusion was lowering their power levels to an absolute minimum before initiating the fusion dance. They would both meditate for a few moments until they were so weak it was as if they were asleep on their feet. Para was much more powerful than both of them together, so they needed to make sure that their individual selves were at their utter weakest before joining. When they felt their power level was too strong, and they couldn't suppress it any further, they took sedatives to artificially lower the ki.

"Hello gentlemen, I'm so sorry I'm late," she said with a smile. Both Trunks and Goten stood up to pull her chair for her, and glared at each other, with Goten winning this mini-battle and snatching the chair.

"I'm just happy you returned my call and could make time to meet us today," said Goten, pushing the chair in as she sat down, "You look as stunning as ever, Medea."

"I want to apologize for what happened the last time we met," explained Trunks, taking her hand gently and kissing it, "My friend and I work together, you see, and we had an extremely long day at the office yesterday. We were both already quite drunk by the time we ran into you, and I know we weren't acting as we should have."

_Seriously? Drunk? Maybe if you'd both consumed every drop of liquor in that bar and then some._

"Oh, I understand _all _about stressful days at work," said Para, clasping Trunks' hand in both of hers and holding it tenderly, "I'm so sorry that your job brings you to drink. Mine does too. You wouldn't believe the things that I see on a daily basis… the impossible, heartbreaking things that I've seen."

_I've seen both of you controlled by Baby, and you were apparently less dangerous to me then, in times of war, than you are now, in times of peace. Now you've naturally hurt me more than any monster could ever make you do. _As Para let every negative thought about Trunks and Goten seep through her mind, she consciously remembered to keep an expression of sweetness on her face, looking sad and distressed about her own job.

The waiter arrived to take their orders, and Goten and Trunks both ordered meals that Para knew wouldn't serve as a tenth of what they needed to consume for one meal. She knew this, because her respective parts were used to cooking for both of these men several times a week. _Two can play, my loves. _She ordered a chocolate fondue. When the boys asked her if she planned to eat any more than that she said that it was all she really felt like at the moment. They picked up the conversation.

"You must be a very strong person to deal with the stressful situations that arise from working in the hospital," said Goten.

"I try to be strong, Goten," said Para, brushing a hand against her hair, "I really do try… but I'm only human." _Oh, that's a good one. I'm only human. Please, help save and protect me, big strong saiyan boys._

"What do you do to relax?" he asked, "I know we mentioned to you that my niece is a doctor. Sometimes the pressures of her job drive her a little crazy."

"No, Goten, your niece is _always_ crazy," complained Trunks, "She tried to blow up my face this morning."

_Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Wait… tried to? Speaking of that, why didn't it leave a mark?_

"She didn't _try to_," said Goten with a smirk and a grin, "She _did_. Or do you not remember begging my brother for a senzu bean to look good for this date?"

_What an idiot. Using a senzu bean, something we're supposed to use in EMERGENCIES, to make himself look good for a date! And dad gave him one? If he couldn't take a little blast like that, he really IS getting weak. _

"Blow up… your face?" asked Para, gasping and placing a hand to her chest, "What does that mean? Did she try to shoot you with a gun? What is a… 'senzu bean'? Are you alright, Trunks? Let me look at it."

Para took both her hands and cupped Trunks' face in them, turning his head first to one side gently, and then to the other. She ran her fingers along his cheekbones firmly, and then along his jaw. She then ran her fingers lightly around his eyes and eyebrows.

"There's no sign of any damage here," she said knitting her gorgeous sapphire brows in a frown, "What did that crazy girl do to you, Trunks? I always thought she was nice."

"Oh, it's nothing really, Medea," said Trunks with a small laugh. He had been enjoying the feel of her soft hands on his face and the sweet concerned look in her cobalt eyes. _I should get hurt more often, _he thought, "Pan is Mr. Satan's granddaughter, and she's used to using both me and Goten as punching bags."

"How terrible!" she said with a sigh and a grimace, "If either of you ever need any medical attention feel free to call me immediately. I do sometimes make house calls for my favourite patients."

Para felt an inward tickle of humour as she saw Goten and Trunks look at each other with wide eyes. _Are they planning to hurt each other now so that I can take care of them? Are they fantasizing about playing doctor with me? Hello, nurse._

"That could be very helpful, Medea," said Goten with a smile, "I think I'm probably next on Pan's hit-list."

_You have no idea, my love. _"How could anyone hurt such a sweet boy as you, Goten? Why, I bet you wouldn't harm a fly."

Goten smiled and blushed, casting his eyes downward, while Trunks laughed, "That's definitely Goten! He's always been the kindest person I've known. And I've known him since we were little kids."

"How sweet. It's rare to see such deep, loyal, lasting friendship these days," said Para. _I used to think he was kind too._ Just then her fondue arrived and she almost squealed in delight at the sight of warm chocolate running in rivulets down a small fountain, surrounded by an appetizing assortment of fruits.

The meals ordered by Trunks and Goten had not yet arrived, so they had nothing to do but watch Para eat.

"Oh my goodness… I hope you boys don't mind, but there are some things you just _cannot _eat with a fork. It would be sacrilegious," she said, picking up a strawberry with her fingers. She dipped the strawberry in the chocolate and lifted it out, rolling it so that the excess dripped off before bringing the fruit to her lips and closing her eyes as she tasted it.

_Oh, Dende, that is so sexy. The strawberry looks good too. Trunks, a sexy woman with a sexy strawberry, this is too much for me to handle. _

Para opened her eyes. Goten had sent that thought into _her _mind instead of to Trunks. Accidentally giving her information, and telling her exactly what he wanted. As if she didn't already know. How could Goten screw up his telepathy like that? The strawberries and chocolate (and cleavage) must really be affecting him.

"Would you like to try a piece, Goten?" she asked softly, dipping a strawberry for him. She fed it to him before he could respond and as he took it into his mouth his lips closed around her fingers as well. She tried to pull her hand away but he held onto her wrist gently, and after eating the strawberry he licked and sucked the excess chocolate off her fingers.

"It's delicious, Medea," he said, looking into her eyes as he released her hand.

"Oh my," she said, blushing and turning away from him. She silently cursed within her mind at how much Goten's touch warmed her insides.

_Nice one, Goten. Now I'm feeling a bit left out. Except I don't really like strawberries, but that banana would taste delicious from her fingers. _

_Trunks, man, how can you not like strawberries? And anything would taste delicious coming from those fingers. I wouldn't mind licking chocolate off the rest of her either. I swear, man. I'll be licking chocolate off those perfect breasts by the end of the week, you'll see. _

_Damn you Goten, it will be me! I don't even need the chocolate. Her own sweet juices will be enough for me. Can you smell her? I already know how delicious she'll taste. _

_Of course I can smell her. I'm going to plunge my tongue into her honey soon. I'll tell you all about it afterwards._

Para was frozen. Were they screwing up the telepathy intentionally? Or was she just somehow able to listen in on it? Was it a new technique that came with the fusion? Did they ALWAYS talk about women in such an explicit and lewd manner? _So they like my scent. I guess I should let myself go and let my body respond to them. Just let myself go, and try to intensify that scent. Be turned on in order to turn them on, yet maintain control in my mind. _As she planned out her strategy she reached for the piece of banana and expertly dipped it.

"Trunks," she said with a naughty smile, "Something tells me you're more of a banana boy."

He looked at her in surprise before taking the banana from her fingers into his mouth, and the perfect flavour of banana and chocolate and her skin mingled together to create the ultimate aphrodisiac.

"What about you, Medea? I'm going to guess pineapple," said Trunks, smiling like an excited kid, and reaching for the pineapple. He fed it to her in much the same manner that she had fed him, accidentally allowing a small drop to fall onto her shoulder as he brought his fingers to his lips to lick them.

"Oh, silly me," said Trunks, leaning in, "I don't want it to go to waste, would you allow me?"

She nodded with a small giggle as Trunks put his lips on her shoulder and gently kissed and licked the chocolate off. She felt her eyes closing of their own initiative. In addition to the natural tingles she felt at his touch, she felt him send small jolts of electricity into her skin by flickering his ki against her arm as he ran his fingers down it. He was turning on the seduction at full force. It was working too.

How did these two, with all their ki tricks, make it with normal human women? Para remembered all the times that Goten and Trunks had left her own bodies bruised and sore, and wondered if they wouldn't seriously injure a human girl with their lovemaking. Wouldn't they have to use so much restraint that it would be boring? _All the more reason they'll come back to us, begging on their knees. Stop it, Para! That's against the rules, no thinking of reconciliation. Just revenge._

She knew that she had to push the anger aside and let herself be seduced in order to fully seduce. She could call upon the anger to stabilize herself at any time. She wasn't just one weak girl any longer, one girl who would let them win, she was Para. Daughter of Vegeta, granddaughter of Goku, twisted together in a glorious fusion. Together, she was more than a match for both the Son of Vegeta and the Son of Goku. The lazy, cruel, spoiled sons. Her brother, her uncle, her loves.

This was war. Even Trunks licking chocolate off her exposed shoulder, that was war too. War felt pretty good.

Goten cleared his throat loudly, "I don't know, Trunks. I would have guessed Medea would like kiwi best."

Goten's glare at Trunks clearly seemed to say, _"Why are you hogging our new toy? I want to play too."_

"I do like kiwi, Goten," she said, opening her eyes and looking at him through her thick midnight lashes.

Trunks moved away from Para hesitantly and allowed Goten to dip and feed her a piece of kiwi. Goten very obviously smudged his chocolate-covered thumb against the side of her mouth when he pulled his hand away and smiled at her wickedly.

"I'm so sorry. I hate to waste chocolate as much as my friend does," he said with a wink, "May I?"

But he didn't wait for her answer before leaning in, and brushing his lips and tongue against the side of her mouth, almost touching her lips, but not quite. It was somewhere between a chaste kiss on the cheek and a feather-light promise of lusty wet French kisses to come.

_I want to be inside of you, Medea, _thought Goten, gazing down at her body hungrily.

Para's eyes widened and she almost pulled away at the shock of those words. Did he intend to communicate to her telepathically? Did he intend to say that, or was he just thinking?

_What is it about your scent? I feel as though I've already kissed you a thousand times, _Goten was staring into her eyes now._ You're such a mystery, so exotic, such a puzzle… yet so familiar too, as familiar as… myself. You remind me of home… but at the same time, of a distant place I've never been. Another planet, maybe._

_Fuck you, Goten! You gorgeous man. _Para ripped her gaze away from Goten's and looked at the frowning Trunks. She felt her breaths coming quickly, and Goten's thoughts were affecting her far too much. Her chest heaved with the deep intakes, her heart was racing. She had to be careful not to respond to him telepathically. _Oh Dende, can he hear my thoughts too? Did he hear me curse at him? _She looked back at Goten who still gazed at her whimsically and knew that he hadn't heard.

Her watch beeped. 10 minutes.

"I'll have to go soon," she told the two men, and they were about to object, but the waiters arrived then with the main dishes. Food. The only thing, the only glorious thing that can distract a saiyan from a woman. Para quickly and ravenously finished the rest of her fruit and all of the chocolate fondue, all the while listening to her stomach growl for more. She ate while the boys were eating so they didn't notice that her particular style of eating was just as piggish as theirs.

Her watch beeped again. She had to get going.

"Trunks, Goten, I really have to go again, I'm so sorry. Dinner was wonderful."

She was already beginning to stand up when she felt both boys restrain her by grabbing her arms. She sat back down abruptly. _They move as simultaneously as I do when fused. _

"I have a question for you before you go, Medea," said Trunks, "Which one of us do you prefer?"

"This is a bit embarrassing. You boys both seem so wonderful. Yet I hardly know either of you."

"Then get to know us," said Goten, "Why don't you go out with each one of us privately so you can decide who you like best?"

"I don't even know if I'm really ready for a relationship," said Para hesitantly, "I'm just simply too busy to settle down, I don't have time for commitment."

"But you'd like to spend more time with us, wouldn't you?" Trunks prodded.

She paused for a moment, glancing at her nails in her lap. _Cool! Even my nail polish is a combination of Bra's French manicure, and Pan's orange nails. Shiny. OK, that was enough time for a thoughtful pause, time to answer._

"Yes," said Para, letting a smile drift over her features as though she had considered the pros and cons, "Frankly, I've never met anyone quite like you two. I just get this feeling when I'm around you. I don't know how to explain it… you just seem special. I never expected to meet two such charming men, I'm really surprised. When I first met you both I thought you were skirt-chasing whores, but I think I was mistaken."

Trunks and Goten looked at each other and began to silently congratulate themselves in thoughts that Para could hear every word of. _Kami, you idiots! That wasn't a compliment. Assholes. _She glanced at her watch. 5 minutes.

"I will surely see you both another time," she said, standing up and pushing her chair in.

"You must be a really busy girl. You're always rushing off before things get interesting," remarked Trunks.

"Maybe next time we meet you can show me what you mean by 'interesting,'" said Para, throwing the boys her best Vegeta-smirk before turning on her heel and leaving. All eyes stared at her and her swaying mass of deepest ultramarine hair as she exited the room.

"She's going to be a tough one, to break," said Goten, staring after the shapely retreating legs, "But now that she's gone, can we order enough food to _eat_?"

* * *

Would you please, please, please review me? =)


	4. The Breakfast Table

_Chapter Four: The Breakfast Table_

I am so very pleasantly surprised that you lovely reviewers thought the ki ball to the face wasn't enough punishment! Honestly, I was worried you would think I made Pan too vicious. My inner rage feels so justified now. XD

Warning: This chapter may piss you off. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you.

~PanHopeNvs~

* * *

"Daddy, as you know, I've recently begun training a bit with Pan… and I wanted to ask you a few questions about Saiyans."

"Go ahead, Bra."

"Well… is telepathy common?"

"Of course," answered Vegeta, "Almost anyone can project their thoughts into the mind of another."

"Vegeta, what about hearing the thoughts of another?" asked Pan.

"Doesn't it seem obvious that if one can project thoughts, the receiver should be able to hear them?"

Bra and Pan glanced at each other.

"Something is obviously troubling you both," observed Vegeta as he ate.

"Daddy, is it possible to hear the thoughts of others if they don't intend for you to hear them?"

Vegeta frowned, "Yes, it's possible for a telepath. There were a few warriors… usually females, who had perfected this skill. They liked to use the skill to control their husbands since they could tell his every desire and every wish."

"Ooh, that sounds handy, Vegeta," said Bulma with a wink.

"They also were expert tacticians, completely invaluable in battle. It was a very rare trait though… and usually only the most powerful warriors achieved it."

"Is it a hereditary thing that runs in the family?" asked Pan, "Or can it be achieved by training?"

"I have no idea. Why all the questions? Has one of you discovered this skill?"

_I think it's probably your skill, Bra. Maybe you need to be fused with my power to use it._

Bra looked at Pan and nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, Daddy. I think I have something of the sort developing."

"You power isn't nearly strong enough to use something like that, Bra. It takes a lot of ki to do it."

"Oh, it's just the beginning stages," she said, smiling. She looked at Pan, thinking, _This could really help things along._

_I agree. But we're going to hear things we don't want to hear. Like last night, but worse. _

_The advantages outweigh the costs!_

"One more thing, Vegeta," said Pan, "Bra and I were thinking of spending a day in the Room of Spirit and Time soon. Just to train. Would that be alright with you?"

Vegeta frowned, "Bra's power level is way below yours, Pan. You could seriously injure her.

"Aw, daddy, you know Pan's always been really careful with me. Besides, there isn't anyone whose level I'm closer to, is there? Well… unless you count the much weaker fighters."

"I guess not," said Vegeta gruffly, "I just worry about you, princess. Especially lately, I've been noticing some strange disturbances in your energy. Sometimes it's incredibly weak. Sometimes I can't sense it at all. I think you've been training too hard…"

_Uh, oh, Bra. You're going to have to improvise here…_

_Seriously, Pan? Do you have no faith in me? Lying to my parents is what I do best._

"Actually dad, I'm working on a device which can suppress ki completely. It could be handy against enemies… or in some personal situations, if you know what I mean," Bra winked at her parents and giggled.

"That sounds interesting," said Vegeta thoughtfully, "But I still don't want you pushing yourself too hard. It's kind of late in your life to begin training so much, so suddenly, and your body might not be prepared… it takes time to develop instincts. I don't think I can approve of this Time Chamber idea just yet."

_Watch this, Pan._

"Daddy," said Bra, putting on her best Bulma-like pout, "I have more saiyan blood running through my veins than Pan does, I should be able to get even _stronger_ than her with the right training. Don't you want _your _daughter to be stronger than _Goku's_ granddaughter?"

Vegeta dropped his fork, and looked up at the two girls. Emotions flickered across his face.

_Oh, now you've done it, _thought Pan to her friend, and the two struggled to suppress their laughter.

"I'm glad to see this competitive spirit in you," said Vegeta, with a genuine smile, "Of course you can go if you wish to. But why won't you let me train you? I trained Trunks so he could be stronger than Goten."

Both women stiffened at the names. Bra spoke, "Yes, but you'd go too easy on me, father. I need the opportunity to push myself. I've set a goal to reach Super Saiyan in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. I know I can do this."

"Alright. Pan, I'm going to trust my daughter in your hands, alright? Don't let harm come to her."

Pan smiled sadly, "She's my dearest friend, Vegeta. I would never knowingly put her in harm's way. I have a solid training plan mapped out."

"Good. Make sure you work on controlling your temper while you're in there. You've been way too volatile lately."

"I will try my best," said Pan with a smile.

"I can give you girls some electronic literature for you to read in case you get bored," offered Bulma.

"Already taken care of, mom," said Bra, "I downloaded thousands of books on every possible subject that could interest us. Mainly medicine for Pan, physics for me, along with classic literature and plenty others, so while we're not training we can still keep our minds sharp."

"That's my girl!" said Bulma who was immediately startled by Pan dropping her fork and standing up abruptly. Pan's head turned sharply to the south and she frowned.

"Er…why is Trunks heading in this direction?" asked Pan.

"He does live here, Pan… maybe he forgot something," offered Bulma.

"I thought you said he'd be in meetings all day," said Pan, looking around nervously for an exit. _I think this was a set up, Bra. He knew you and I were waiting for a day he wouldn't be home to visit. _ Pan weighed her options. If she flew away he would most likely intercept her. If she hid in the building he might come looking for her.

"Mom, he didn't call to say he was coming back?" asked Bra, looking at Pan with anxiety. _Damn it, Pan, what are we going to do? He can't see either of us, especially not both of us together. He might figure it out. _

"No," Bulma responded, "When he left this morning he said he wouldn't be home until dinner, maybe later."

"I should leave," said Pan, standing up.

"Why, are you afraid of him?" asked Vegeta, raising his eyebrow.

"I'm afraid of what I might do to him, Vegeta. Or are you going to step in and fight for him like you did last time? Because your son can't defend himself from a third-class saiyan female?"

"Pan, please," began Bulma, "No talking of killing my son at the breakfast table."

"She's right, Pan! I thought you knew this family better than that," Vegeta was growling, "Save it for lunch and dinner."

"Aw, Daddy. I love you," said Bra with a giggle while Bulma glared at her husband.

"Speaking of which, I miss my own father! I'm going to go and visit him immediately," said Pan. Mt. Paozu was in the opposite direction from the one Trunks was flying in, and they wouldn't run into each other. It was the perfect getaway, "Thank you for having me over for breakfast, Bulma. I hope to see you again soon. Bye Vegeta, I hope we can train again before long."

Pan waited until Trunks was practically on the front lawn of Capsule Corp. and she quickly headed for the back of the building to fly away at top speed. It was obvious that she was running away from him, but she didn't care. She didn't want to see him when un-fused. She increased her ki to increase her speed.

Back at the house, Bra wiped her hands with a napkin and also stood up, announcing to her parents, "I have a stomach ache, or headache, or menstrual cramps, or something of the sort. I'll be in my room and I don't want to be disturbed by any of your other children."

She turned to leave, but Vegeta stopped her, "Wait, Bra. You don't have to leave yet. He's not coming here."

"What? But he was at the front door…" Bra concentrated hard and sensed for her brother's ki, "Oh shit… he's going after Pan."

"Language, sweetie," cautioned Bulma.

"I'm not interfering in their business again. If they want to fight until they kill each other, it's none of my concern," said Vegeta, acting like he cared a lot less than he did.

"What did he do to her, Bra?" asked Bulma, with a worried look on her face, "What's going on between them? They were so happy."

Bra stared at her parents, feeling the immense love that only a youngest child who's been away from home for a while could feel. She wanted to tell them everything. They still didn't know about her and Goten, although she was sure her dad had felt their energy signals together less. How could she tell her parents that she'd lost the love of her life? The man she gave her virginity to, the man they warned her about?

"Oh, mom… everything's gone horribly wrong," was all she could muster before turning and running up the stairs to her old room. Every part of the room was exactly as it always had been. She threw herself down on the bed and closed her eyes at the familiar feel of this mattress and these sheets. Somehow, being in her childhood bed at her parents' home made her feel so much more protected and secure.

* * *

As Pan was flying she felt a familiar ki spike behind her, and a rush of fear flooded her stomach. _He's following me? Why on earth is he following me? His power level is too high… he probably went Super Saiyan. He'll catch up with me this way. Damn it. My turn. _

Pan increased her speed as much as possible, letting out yell as her hair flickered golden. _I am sure I look less like Para when I'm blonde. That will help… IF he catches me. _She saw her parents' and grandparents' home in the distance and realized that going to either building wouldn't protect her. Also, Goten was there. There was no way in hell that her parents would turn Trunks away with a "Pan doesn't want to see you right now"—especially since they had no idea of the situation, and Pan hadn't been home in so long. Even if they did, Trunks could simply climb in the window as he used to do when she was 18 and…

Pan growled at the memories, and decided there was only one thing to do. She turned the angle of her flight, and raised her speed and energy even more, and continued to fly on past her parents' home. She had plenty of energy and anger, and she wasn't going to let him catch up with her that easily. She wondered if he was going to stop at Goten's house and give up the chase, but when she could already see the ground covered in ice—the glaciers around the North Pole, and still felt him on her trail, she realized he wasn't going to give up either.

_Will he really chase me around the globe? How many times? _Pan couldn't help but smile at his persistence as she sped up, pushing her body's output of energy dangerously close to the maximum. She could feel Trunks slipping away behind her. _Yes, I'm losing him. He's a good distance behind me. He's been doing this his whole life, but so have I._

Pan continued flying, feeling the wind toss her golden hair. She wanted so much to enjoy the scenery below as she flew, but was concentrated on keeping away from Trunks. _This is actually kind of thrilling. I like the fact that he can't catch up with me, but the longer the chase goes on… the more I start to wish he would catch me. Stupid, Pan! That will only cause a big fight, verbally and probably physically since lately you have NO control over your anger. It will just be a lot of unnecessary pain for both of you. However, fighting does make me stronger… and I do get much stronger from the emotional battles than from the spars for the sake of sparring. _

A frown settled on her face as she felt him gaining on her. They had flown over Canada and the United States in a few minutes and now they were covering land fast over South America, probably over Argentina. As she gazed at the lush forests memories came rushing back to her. Not too long ago Trunks and Pan might have flown around the globe like this a bit more leisurely, and stopped in random countries to explore the culture, cuisine, and landscape. They would often stop to stay at a hotel or inn and make love in the most exotic possible locations—oftentimes, in the remote outdoors. They had a gigantic map on the wall at Pan's apartment in the city where they placed thumbtacks on all the places where they'd had sex. It was a private joke they enjoyed, and they could point at a thumbtack and reminisce. They had been trying to cover as much of the globe as possible in their spare time, and it was easy when you could fly for free anywhere you wanted.

They often joked that it was too bad Pan had been so young while they had explored the universe together, or they could have put thumbtacks on a map of the stars. They had dreamed of going back someday and making up for those lost thumbtacks on the planets they had visited. Maybe on their honeymoon. Thinking of all these memories left a taste in her mouth that could only be defined as bittersweet. She couldn't help it: her heart ached. _Who's going to do all that with you now, Trunks? Who's going to make a future with you that can rival our history? Why didn't you think about what you were throwing away? _

She focused on the thrill of the flight, the energy rushing through the channels of her body and the blood pumping through her veins. Being Super gave her the perfect natural adrenaline and endorphin high—and boosted her ego as well. _I know that I'm one in a million. Heck! I'm the strongest girl on this planet right now, so that's one in 6 billion-ish. Not that it's the only reason I'm special. Just nice to mention. I'm also a very good person until someone pisses me off and I explode. Find another like me, Trunks! Find someone better, someone more perfectly matched! Find her, I dare you! _

His energy signal was growing stronger and closer. Was he really managing to catch up? She looked over her shoulder, something she knew she should never do in any race or chase, and sure enough she saw the little blip of light energy in the distance. _Damn. Push it, Pan, push it. Why on earth is he following me? He doesn't want me; he wants to have sex with Para. And a bazillion other women. Not me. So why is he chasing me? Probably only because I'm running away. _

She considered using instant transmission to try to transmit back to her father, or to Vegeta. Those were the largest kis that she could sense from this far away… but Trunks was too powered up right now, and too close, and she might just screw up and teleport beside him. She had managed to teleport to Bra that one time, but at the moment she couldn't sense Bra's energy whatsoever… it was too weak from halfway across the world. She couldn't concentrate the way she needed to in order to use Instant Transmission. The only thing to do was keep flying. For how long, though? How long until one of them ran out of energy, or until he caught her?

Antarctica was beautiful.

_What the hell?! _Pan's path was cut off by two ki blasts curving forward and intercepting her path, and she naturally slowed down to dodge them. That was a mistake. In a second she was caught in a death-grip, with her arms held fast against her sides.

"Gotcha!" he said, laughing. The worst part was that his laugh made her want to smile too—the vigorous chase had made her body hum with excitement and energy, and her mind was calmed, so she had almost forgotten the reason she'd been running away. Almost. The hurt and betrayal of the past month almost disappeared, and crushed in the vice of his arms she almost felt like nothing at all had gone wrong. Almost.

"You cheated," she mumbled into his chest.

"All's fair, sweetheart."

He was being playful with her. He wasn't allowed to do that. Not anymore. Not after what he'd done.

"Please let me go, Trunks. I asked you to stay away from me."

"Never, Pan. I can't stay away from you forever. I gave you time to cool down and now I need to talk to you. Will you listen to me for a moment? Don't I deserve that much, after all these years?"

Her heartbeat quickened, and she felt hope inside of her. Then immediately she crushed it. _Dende. If I didn't have proof, hard evidence of him cheating, I would fall for this. I still might fall for this. Do I love him that much? That I'd forgive him? Get a hold of yourself, Pan Son! Visualize, remember what you saw. _She saw it then. In perfect clarity. She had been hovering in the air outside his office window, carrying about five bags of takeout food. Inside his office, a redhead. Wearing a grey pinstriped blazer, with the matching skirt bunched up around her hips.

Pan began to struggle against him, but he had her in a tight hold. He was at the second level of Super Saiyan and she was only at the first. She tried to headbutt him in the neck, but she didn't have enough leverage and he still held onto her tightly. She tried to charge up ki blasts in her hands and blast him with them, but his body was crushed against hers and they exploded against her as well. She tried to bring up her knees up against his thighs and midsection to force some space between them, but he just brought his own knee up in between hers and forced her knees to the side of his body.

This motion, a form of grappling in midair, resulted in the rough grinding of their bodies together. She could feel him becoming aroused, and this in turn had the same effect on her. She couldn't control it. The more she struggled to break free, the harder she could feel him growing against her. _Just great, _she thought in exasperation, _Trunks, why do you ALWAYS have an erection? Did you follow me around the globe just to torture me with that thing? _

_I know: Your penis is beautiful. It's an enchanting shade of pink and so silky to the touch. Not to mention the lavender curls at its base. I still remember my surprise at seeing your lilac pubic hair for the first time. I mean, it should be obvious right? You have lilac hair, so the carpet should match the curtains. That's just theory, but SEEING the splendour, and touching it! It's the fairytale cock of dreams. I just want to nuzzle it. _

_You're probably the only man on earth who has a beautiful penis, because frankly, penises are weird looking. I've seen plenty in the hospital, and of course they're usually injured or diseased (why else would they be showing them to me in the hospital?) but regardless of that, they're all funny and odd. I think yours would look great even if it were injured or diseased. Which it probably will be soon, if you keep up the lifestyle! Syphilis, I hope. Except for the fact that Saiyans are practically immune to infection. Never mind. Never mind. _

_This has been an odd mental soliloquy. I should focus all my attention on breaking free from your grip and kicking your ass now. You cheated on me, you man-whore. Those lavender curlies were supposed to be for MY eyes only. So stop pressing your junk against me!_

With that thought Pan brought her knee up hard into Trunks' groin. He whimpered, which sent a small wave of pity through her, but she also couldn't help smiling at his pain. _And that's your Super Saiyan ex-girlfriend busting your balls. Literally! _

"Cheap shot, Panny," he said, growling from low in his throat.

"Let go of me, Trunks. Or I'll do it again, but harder."

"You wouldn't. You enjoy my loving far too much to unman me. Besides, if you injure me too badly you won't be able to have my babies."

She let out a yell, and with a burst of energy she brought up her knee with full force into his groin, but he blocked her by twisting his body and using his own knee. He laughed then, hooking his legs around one of her thighs so that he had both her arms and her legs locked firmly.

"I'm sorry, that was pretty inappropriate considering the circumstances," he smiled, "It's just the kind of thing I would have said to you a few weeks ago, you know?"

"I wouldn't have been kicking you in the balls repeatedly a few weeks ago. Things have changed between us, so could you please let me go?

"I won't let go of you until you quit fussing and listen to what I have to say."

She kept struggling, and decided to power up as much as possible and use the strength of her energy to try to free her pinned arms. He powered up as well, and they were at a stalemate once more. It was natural for them. This had always been the nature of their communication. They had always sparred together, and that always found its way into the other aspects of their life as well. They couldn't deny their violent saiyan heritage. Pan couldn't deny that she wanted to wrap her legs around him and beg him to enter her in midair.

_Ugh. Bad thoughts, Pan. Bad thoughts. Get away from him… If only I were fused with Bra right now, this wouldn't be bothering me quite so much… I think. Time for a new strategy!_

Pan abruptly spun around so that they were upside-down. He was strong, but so was she, and she was determined and clever. If she couldn't get out of his grip with brute force… well, Antarctica was only about ten thousand feet below. Pan began to fly, diving headfirst into the large icy continent, with Trunks still attached to her.

"You think smashing me into a glacier is going to help this situation?" asked Trunks loudly to be heard over the whistle of the wind as they both barrelled down head first.

"Absolutely," said Pan.

_The theory is this: maybe grinding both of our heads into a glacier at an extremely high speed will take my mind off you grinding your penis against me, and hopefully you'll quit doing that and leave me alone._

Pan gritted her teeth together and closed her eyes before the impact came. She felt a second of almost-nauseating fear, like the feeling right before the rollercoaster plummets vertically downward from a crazy height. That moment of pause. Then it came, and it was sharp and blinding pain exploding through her head and entire body.

The only comfort was that Trunks was getting the worst of it because he was slightly taller than she, so his head acted as an icebreaker first. It was pretty terrifying, and she might have grabbed onto Trunks and held onto him tightly, except for two important factors: one, she couldn't move her arms because he held them locked tightly to her sides, and two, the only reason she was doing this in the first place was to use the ice to break him _off_ of her. Holding on tighter would not help the situation in the least, even if she could.

Trunks had been using his own energy to try to pull up so that they didn't hit the ice, but Pan's momentum had been strong. The only change he was able to make was after the initial impact. He was able to shift their path so that they moved horizontally within the ice, just under the surface. After a few kilometres, they eventually broke out of the surface again and went sliding along the top until Trunks used his energy to forcefully stop.

Both Pan and Trunks had badly torn clothing—she only just noticed that he had been wearing a rather nice suit. It had probably been expensive. She felt a pang of regret thinking, _I'll have to replace… STOP! That's girlfriend thinking. You're not his woman anymore. _There were bloody scrapes along both of their arms and backs and plenty of bruises everywhere skin was exposed.

She had been hoping that one of them (preferably Trunks) would be knocked unconscious, but unfortunately they were both fine, even after having their heads rip through hundreds of meters of solid ice. Well, they were a little bit dazed.

Pan decided to take advantage of the dizziness she could see on Trunks' face and she tried to make one last ditch effort to break free. He anticipated her movements from the resolve in her eyes, and he tightened his grip on her. She growled, twisting and bringing her knee up hard into his ribcage, and the two of them grappled on the ice for several minutes, turning over and over as one would gain the advantage, only to lose it again.

Finally, fed up with the fighting, Trunks slammed Pan's body down hard into the ice, and placed his own body weight on top of her. They were both panting and breathing hard from the effort, and she could feel his chest constricting and expanding quickly against hers.

Blood from his forehead dripped down onto her own forehead and into her blonde hair. They stared at each other, one Super Saiyan's steely jade eyes into another's. Pan felt a bit sorry to see just how bruised his head was, but she knew he could handle much more abuse. After a few moments, Trunks smiled.

"I'm not sure the penguins will appreciate the renovations."

Pan tried to resist. She tried to hold onto her anger. But her lips were already smiling without her permission. She simply couldn't help it. _My sweet Trunks. _

"Now, can we talk?" he pleaded. The blood tracing patterns down his face made him look so pathetic. She felt the urge to take care of him, to heal the injuries she had given to him. Was it the woman in her, or the doctor in her? He wanted to talk, and she should listen to what he had to say. She couldn't possibly say no to those pleading teal eyes.

"No," she croaked, and she began to raise her ki, ready for another round of fighting to get away from him, and possibly some more head-bashing into ice.

He sighed, as though he were very tired, "Look, Pan. I've been trying this life-without-you thing. I don't like it so much."

_Could have fooled Para. _"Drink, women, freedom: what's not to love?"

"Pan," he moved his face very close to hers so that their noses touched, "I made a mistake, and I need to tell you why…"

"You don't understand, do you? I don't want to hear your excuses or reasons. I don't even want to think about it. I don't want to remember. I don't want to be angry anymore."

"I wish to Dende I could go back in time and change what happened, but I can't," he said, "All I can do is explain. Maybe it will make things right and you can stand to be around me again…"

"No! If you ever loved me, Trunks, even in the least, please stay away from me. Stop bringing up the subject. We can't spend time together anymore, I can't bear it." _Not in this body, not in this mind, at least. I just can't bear it._

Fresh waves of pain were exploding in her chest at the reminders of his infidelity. Even though she had seen a great number of chests cut open to expose beating hearts, even though she knew that the heart was just an organ made of muscle tissue… she felt suddenly very aware of hers. All the poems, all the songs, all the stupid sappy movies made sense, because the emotions _did_ really concentrate there: and it must even really be possible to die of a broken heart, for the pain in her heart was greater than the pain in her head. And her head had just smashed into a glacier.

"Pan," he said softly, "I do love you."

And the pain intensified tenfold. _Of all the attacks I've ever seen and borne… of all the Kamehamehas and Gallic Guns, Special Beam Cannons, and Masenkos, THIS takes the cake. The trophy of the most lethal. _

He had lowered his lips close to hers so that his warm breath caressed her lips. Visibly. For some strange reason, it was frigging cold that particular day in Antarctica. This made the warmth of his threatening kiss even more welcome to her body, while being COMPLETELY unwelcome to her mind. _You have got to be kidding me. He's not really going to do this. _Pan's eyes darted to his lips and back to his eyes with alarm.

_Yep, he did it. _

His lips had descended on hers with soft wet warmth, pressing together the final part of their bodies that needed to be connected. The kiss drained her energy, rapidly depleting her strength. As he moved his lips against hers, kissing first her bottom and then her top lip, she felt her ki retreat somewhere far away where it couldn't be reached, almost completely disappearing, and her voluminous golden hair fell limp, flat and black against the watery ice.

She prayed for a miracle to happen. Ideally, the miracle would consist of her body morphing completely into ice and becoming one with the glacier beneath her. For that was the only way that she could resist moving her lips in response against his. Her rebellious body was disobeying her commands. She was allowing herself to be kissed, and soon she was kissing back, savouring the taste of him. The sweaty, bloody, manly taste of him.

_I need to _not_ be me any longer. Why can't I be Para forever? She would never feel so defeated and ashamed. Would she?_

Trunks allowed his own energy to be calmed as well, and his hair changed from golden to lavender. This signified that he knew she was no longer struggling to get away from him. She was submissive, she was his again. He kept an aura of energy up around them to keep them warm as he continued to devour her mouth with hungry kisses. It had been too long. The warmth of their auras and bodies had melted some of the ice around where they lay, and Pan was almost immersed in a small pool of water. Trunks lifted his mouth from her now swollen and pink lips to gaze down at her body ardently. Her tattered clothes were soaked and clinging to her in a very enticing manner.

"I don't think we have a thumbtack in Antarctica," he mused before returning his mouth to hers.

His hands were moving to the buttons on her blouse. For the first time since they'd been in the neighbourhood she suddenly felt the coldness of the ice against her skin, and it pierced right through her. It was, in fact, pretty cold.

One button.

_If I know my Trunks, he'll have my clothes off in an instant and then there's no going back. It's just so natural, how can I fight it? I need to fight it, but my body is staging a mutiny against me. I wish someone would come and save me from this… save me from my own weakness. I do so love it when he does that to my neck._

Two buttons.

_I guess there are no chances that anyone will walk by, considering this continent is uninhabited. Why did I have to fly in this direction? I should have stayed close to the equator. Africa would have been nice. And at least I would have been warm while miserable. _

Three buttons.

_Am I going to allow myself to be used? Probably. So help me, I feel butterflies inside. I won't be able to look at myself in the mirror ever again. Maybe someone will come to check on us. Vegeta? Papa? Goten? Maybe someone will sense our energy signals and think we were fighting… which we were… and come to see if we're OK. _

Four buttons.

_This is ridiculous, my shirt is torn to pieces anyway, why bother with the buttons? Just rip it off me like you always do, Trunks. And like you probably do to all your other women. No. No! What am I doing? _

"Stop it, Trunks. Please."

Pan placed her hands on her stomach, trying futilely to hold the pieces of her blouse together. Telling him to stop was something she had never, ever done. Not once in five years.

"I can't stop," Trunks groaned, grinding his body against hers to show her. "Dende, Pan. I need you so badly…"

She felt the ache in her womb respond to his words. She needed him too. Her body urged her to give in, to relax and let it be. To allow herself to gain and receive pleasure from the man she loved.

But her pride said no.

"It's over between us, Trunks."

The effort it took to resist sent tears cascading down her cheeks, "It's over. Don't you get it? I loved you, I do love you with all my heart, but you _cheated_ on me. You were with another woman. Please, just leave me alone."

He looked at her with surprise, "You're… crying? You, Pan? Not blowing me up, but crying?"

"Does it give you satisfaction? To see me belittled and broken? To know that you have power over me, that you can affect me so greatly?"

The pool of water was growing too deep, and Trunks gently cradled Pan in his arms and flew her onto the solid ice. He held her close, against his chest.

"Why do you think I'm such a monster? I could never gain pleasure from your suffering. I haven't seen you cry since… since Goku was alive."

The name triggered a sob and another vehement outburst, "Soak it up! Cherish the moment! Take a fucking picture, because you won't see it happen ever again. Now please go away!"

"…And leave you crying on a glacier in the middle of Dende-knows-where?"

"Yes. Dende does know, so I'll be fine. Please go."

"No. I won't leave you, Panny." Trunks sighed, kissing her forehead and using his thumb to wipe the tears off her cheek. She moved her head to the side angrily to avoid even that tiniest of touch—as though it burned her. She looked off into the distance and still prayed that someone would come. She felt so weak. So very helpless. She, Pan! She was still in his arms, which meant she hadn't won yet. _Isn't anyone sensing our kis? Doesn't anyone care that we've been fighting and… why couldn't you just show up and save me, Papa? Like you always did when I was little. Right at the moment things were about to get dangerous, you'd always be there. _

Trunks kissed her tears away gently, murmuring sweet nothings. She didn't hear any of them until this sentence:

"Pan, that woman you saw in my office…"

Something snapped in her. This was it. This was the doorway to her strength. The doorway to the power released by her insane, violent, female saiyan rage. Deep in her center it awakened and exploded in an instant, flooding her consciousness. She didn't need anyone to come and save her.

Like an intergalactic shampoo commercial her limp hair began to glow and lift off the ground, engorged with pure energy. Her dull lifeless eyes filled with electric green passion. Vivid visuals of Trunks putting his lips on Para's shoulder the night before came to her. Images of him with his face between the thighs of the pinstripe suited redhead polluted her brain. Now, using those same lips to kiss her! To kiss _HER_!

She sobbed, her small hands condensing even smaller into solid, airtight fists. In perfect, powerful form she smashed her knuckles into Trunks' mouth with all the strength in her body. He rolled away from her, clutching his bleeding lips in shock.

"How COULD you?" she screamed, blinking away tears of rage as she leapt on him and began to pummel his face for all she was worth. Trunks powered up back to Super Saiyan to defend himself. He managed to block most of her blows at first, but as the fight carried on her frenzied mania was too much. After a time he was overpowered, for his energy was draining fast and Pan's was seemingly unlimited, flowing forth from an ethereal source.

Her wrath took her from one attack to another seamlessly for over an hour, and she found herself hovering in the air high above him and sending beams of ki down toward him in rapid succession. The heat from the explosions melted the ice around him, making a large watery crater that she hoped would be his grave.

"…And I DON'T CARE…"

She fired a blast.

"…If the FUCKING PENGUINS…"

She fired another blast.

"HATE the renovations!"

She fired again, her power sweeping her into delirium. It was like this, with Pan in this thundering fury, that their fathers found them.

"I_ told_ her to wait until lunchtime," remarked Vegeta, who did care enough about his son's life enough to show up after all, "This is worse than the last time."

Gohan had simply stared in open-eyed disbelief, not even recognizing his daughter, "Is that Panny? What's gotten into her? Why is she doing this?"

Everyone had kept Gohan in the dark about the situation. Pan hadn't been home to explain. Now, Gohan had finally become disturbed enough by sensing the fight and by feeling his daughter's power level reach this new peak that he knew he must leave work to check on the situation. He knew Pan had a temper and every time her power level rose wasn't necessarily an emergency… but_ this_ time, Gohan's fatherly instinct made him feel he was needed. He now stared in open-mouthed shock as Pan continued to try her best to obliterate Trunks with ki-blasts, completely oblivious to her environment.

"You don't know? Hmph," Vegeta folded his arms as though he were casually watching a display of fireworks, "She caught my son with his face in another woman's genitals in his office. She fried the woman and then let loose on Trunks. Goten and I stopped her before any serious harm could be done, mainly to keep anyone from seeing them use their powers. Out here it's not much of an issue that anyone might see."

"No... No... No," said Gohan, processing the information and shaking his head, "That's impossible. Trunks would never do that to Pan. He loves her. There must be some mistake."

Vegeta rolled his eyes, and the two men flew to interrupt and terminate the battle. It was a ferocious violence which had overcome Pan and allowed her to conquer a fighter who was more experienced and much stronger than she. Her energy had always been greatly tied to her emotions, and Trunks had certainly evoked the wrong ones. It wasn't until she had her father's arms protectively around her did the fires within subside into tranquility.

Although Gohan's arms were powerful, he didn't restrain her forcefully as Trunks had done to try to _make_ her listen to his sorry excuses. Instead, Gohan held her gently, with understanding and love, the tender way that only a father can hold his child. Even when that child has murder in her eyes. This peaceful, caring approach melted through her fury and rage and exposed her hurt.

She collapsed against Gohan sobbing. She clung to him tightly, inwardly begging to be taken back in time to when she was a little girl and crying in her father's arms wasn't humiliating. Begging to be taken back in time to before she'd fallen in love with Trunks and apparently kissed goodbye to her sanity. But since she couldn't be taken back in time, she would have to settle for being taken home. _Please take me home, papa. _

_I will, Panny. But you can't keep your old man in the dark anymore. I need to know what's going on with you. Promise you'll tell me?_

_Yes, papa… everything's just gone horribly wrong._

Vegeta sighed, tossing his trashed and defeated son over his shoulder for the second time that month, and bid goodbye to the Sons. After a moment's hesitation he turned around to say something which Pan could not have expected.

"A word of advice, girl. Although Trunks is my son I am well aware of his flaws. He wronged you, and you have every right to be infuriated. That is righteous saiyan rage."

Vegeta's brow creased as he continued, "But you can't keep letting this anger consume you. I've been down that path and it doesn't end well. He is not worth your time, energy, or suffering. Find a stronger warrior, a more honourable warrior, to be your mate."

Pan and Gohan looked at Vegeta speechlessly for a moment. It was rare to see him exhibiting such concern. Rarer still to see him belittle his own offspring in favour of a Son. Vegeta turned to fly away but Gohan shouted to stop him.

"Vegeta!" shouted Gohan, "You're wrong. Trunks is a good man. I know he is. He may be at times misguided, and he may screw up… but we all do. I'm sure that there's a reasonable explanation for these unpleasant incidents."

"I know my son more than you. I can give you the reasonable explanation: he is, quite simply, what earthlings call a 'douchebag.'"

Pan felt a small laugh bubble up in her throat, which was still rather sore from screaming. She felt suddenly very blessed to have two such men as her father and Vegeta in her life. She suddenly regretted losing Trunks less than losing the hope of being related by marriage to his wonderful family… having his parents and sister as official in-laws had been a treasured dream of hers. But anyway, she hadn't lost them. She still could sit with them at the breakfast table on any given day, just like she had earlier that morning. They always had been and always would be her family regardless of her connection to Trunks. This thought gave her great strength.

"I will take your words to heart, Vegeta," said Pan, releasing her father and wiping the blood and tears from her face in attempt at dignity before the Prince, "Thank you for your advice. Could you please give Trunks a message for me when he wakes up? Tell him we already had a thumbtack on Antarctica anyway."

* * *

So… I've been writing T/P fanfiction for over 10 years, and it only JUST occurred to me that Trunks has lavender coloured pubic hair… I guess I never really thought about it... I guess all my stories were kind of innocent before this... Is this common knowledge and no one ever mentioned it to me? Am I an idiot?

This is definitely my favourite chapter so far. Initially I WAS going to have Gohan come and check on their kis and separate them before the big fight, but then I read a horrible T/P rape fic and I just knew that I had to make my Pan fight for herself. (Even though this isn't rape, it's just sick seduction.) She is 26 in this story after all, so she can't be totally susceptible to the charms of the lavender-haired (everywhere) stud. FIGHT, PAN, FIGHT!

How'd you like it?


	5. A Stimulating Simulator

_Chapter Five: A Stimulating Simulator_

_A note on fusion: The Potarra earrings cause permanent fusion and come from the Supreme Kais. They were destroyed by Vegeta and Goku in the Buu saga. Regular fusion, with the dance, lasts only thirty minutes and then reverses itself. _

Welcome to the first T/P story where readers don't seem to like intimate T/P scenes—those are boring! All aboard the twisted Para/Trunks/Goten wagon.

I am really glad you all like Para so much… but I hope you understand that without the pain of Pan and Bra, there_ is_ no Para. Sex scenes are great, but there has to be a storyline and a reason for them to exist. =)

Anyway, I'll try to make both types of readers happy here: the ones who love meaningful plot and the ones who came here to masturbate while reading. At least you CAN do that. Try masturbating while writing. It sucks; it's hard to type with one hand.

Cheers.

~PanHopeNvs~

* * *

Pan had passed out from exhaustion somewhere between Fiji and Samoa.

Now Gohan, having gently pulled away the torn pieces of fabric which had clung to her body, gently swabbed the bruises with antiseptic. She lay unconscious on her bed in her old room at her childhood home in Mt. Paozu, clad only in her beige underclothes and beige bandages. He had called the hospital where she worked and told them she'd been in a serious accident and was being tended to by the family's private doctor until she regained her health. It wasn't completely a lie. Gohan did have a PhD albeit not in medicine.

The doorbell rang and Gohan hesitantly left his daughter's side to answer it. He met with a distressed Bra ringing her hands nervously.

"Is she OK?" asked Bra, as Gohan ushered her inside, "I flew over as fast as I could, which isn't very fast, but…"

"She's alright, Bra," Gohan said with a reassuring smile, "How's your brother?"

"Father put him in the regeneration tank… he's a mess. He's wrecked. What's Pan's condition?"

"Barely hurt at all. Some surface injuries and she's exhausted from using so much power," Gohan frowned, "Vegeta said that Trunks cheated on her. Is this true?"

Bra nodded, swallowing her saliva, "Pan was too ashamed to tell you. It happened about a month ago."

"A month? Well, that's extremely odd," mused Gohan, "It was just three months ago that I spoke to him…"

Gohan's eyes settled on a random point on the wall. He stared at it thoughtfully for several moments.

"Spoke to him?" prodded Bra.

Gohan looked at her in surprise. He had drifted off into his own world and had almost forgotten Bra's presence, "Yes. I shouldn't be sharing this information, as obviously things didn't go as planned… but Trunks came to me and asked for Pan's hand in marriage. He bought a ring and everything; he was just trying to think of when and how to make the proposal."

Bra stumbled backwards, dumbfounded, "No way! That doesn't make any sense whatsoever!"

"Don't tell Pan… but I just thought you should know, since you're his sister. Maybe you can fix things, speak to him?"

"Yeah, I don't think so, Gohan. Pan has the right idea. The only speaking you can do to Trunks is with your fists." _Or other body parts, I suppose._

"I feel so terrible. I trusted him with her, I really did." Gohan had ripped his glasses from his face and held them so tightly in his hand that they cracked.

"Don't worry, Gohan," said Bra, putting her hand on his arm, "Pan will be fine. She has an amazing father; she hardly has any use for a husband. Especially a mediocre one like my brother would have been."

Gohan nodded to acknowledge the compliment but he looked unconvinced. He felt responsible for making a poor judgement on Trunks

Bra squeezed his arm reassuringly, "Besides! I have just the perfect thing in mind to ease Pan's troubles. She and I have been thinking of going on a vacation!"

"Vacation?"

"Yes. We just need your permission. We'll only be gone for a day!"

"Sure, Bra. That sounds like a good idea." It was obvious that Gohan was upset and hardly paying attention. He was so distracted that she probably could have asked him for permission for Pan to become a porn star and he would have agreed. Bra smiled.

"I'm going to go check on her, if that's alright?"

"Of course."

Bra ran up the stairs to Pan's old room. She closed the door behind her and fished what appeared to be a tube of lipstick out of her purse. Cautiously approaching the sleeping Pan she flicked a button on the lipstick tube and held it close to Pan's ear.

After a moment, Pan shot up in bed, and clutched her head, groaning, "What is this? A hangover? How many gallons did I drink?"

"I'm a genius," exclaimed Bra, flipping the cylindrical device closed, "No drinking, silly. You were fighting with my brother. Maybe doing more than fighting considering you're just in your bra and panties. Cute matching set, by the way."

Pan's hands moved over her body and she glanced down to assess the multitude of bruises and scrapes. _Did I...? No. _She remembered the morning's events and cringed, "Just a tad bit more than fighting. What are you holding, Bra?"

"This is my newest invention! It's a Blutz Wave Simulator. It works kind of like the amplifier my mom made so that my dad could go Super Saiyan 4, except this device focuses on transmitting sound waves, not light waves. The frequency is rather high, so it can't be heard but the body responds to it nonetheless."

"It looks like a tube of lipstick."

"I wanted it to be portable so we could take it on our dates. Speaking of which, we have a date with Goten in a few hours and you need to get yourself healed up."

"What does the device do, Bra?"

"It's able to give the saiyan body an unnatural temporary boost in energy along with stimulating our senses with synthetic waves emulating the full moon so that we emit irresistible pheromones!"

"It gives off the impression that we're fertile, or ovulating?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that in my preliminary tests it heightens oxytocin (the "love hormone," or "cuddle hormone") along with vasopressin and a few other hormones that might be unique to saiyans—I have no clue what they all do, but I'm guessing they do good sexy things."

"So what effect do you think it will it have on the guys?"

"Uh… I'm not sure _exactly_. This is a new invention! The idea is that it will cause their bodies to physiologically respond in a way that makes them feel as though they are madly in love with Para. Like their lame ki tricks, with an effective scientific twist. I'm not even sure whether to call it the "Simulator" since it simulates the frequency of Blutz Waves, or the "Stimulator" since that's what it does to the body."

"You're crazy," said Pan, smiling and rubbing her head, "But it could be fun. Let's try it."

"It works at least in a general way, trust me. I am SUCH a genius. If only there was actually a saiyan population that existed, a market for this product, I could make a fortune from selling it!"

"Didn't your family already make enough money from monopolizing the _human_ market?"

"Yes, but I'm the next generation. It's time to expand. What do you think Namekians would buy?"

Pan shook her head with a small chuckle. _If I didn't KNOW she were Bulma's daughter, I'd be convinced now._

"Anyway, enough about my job," Bra frowned, placing her hands on her hips, "Pan Son! You fly yourself up to Dende right this instant and have him heal that face of yours. Para is NOT going on a date with Goten looking like a trailer park whore!"

Pan recoiled from the insult, running her hands over her face, "Is it really that bad?"

"Yes!" scolded Bra, "So fix yourself up, and then fly over to my place so we can get ready."

"Yes, ma'am," muttered Pan as she threw off the covers and stood up, rushing to the mirror to check out the damage. She groaned as she fingered a gash on her temple. _I look like I've been hit by a train. Definitely not sexy. _

"And mention the Time Chamber idea to Dende while you're up there, OK?"

"I will," said Pan, as she began to rummage through her drawers for clothing.

"Thanks, Panny. See you soon! Don't forget to bring some naughty clothes!" said Bra, opening the door and turning to leave the room.

She ran smack into what felt like a solid wall.

Bra cursed, putting a hand out to steady herself, "I'm so sorry Goha…"

She stopped mid-word because her hand and eyes had settled upon the ultra-soft deep burgundy cashmere of a sweater she remembered buying. It had cost $149.99. All of a sudden, the strong-yet-gentle hands on her waist which had steadied her from falling unleashed an attack of panic inside her.

_Maybe he gave Gohan the sweater? Yes, of course, that explains it… and Gohan must be wearing his cologne too. _Bra didn't think to sense for his ki as she slowly, fearfully moved her face upwards. It wasn't Gohan.

"Hi," he said softly.

Her stomach exploded into terror and dread. _Hi? Hi! How do guys do that? How do they have the ability to see their old lover and not care? And act cool and casual like everything's OK? _

He was gazing down at her with familiar warm chocolate eyes. Were his fingers tightening around her waist? Was he inhaling her scent? _Alright. Maybe not so casual. Maybe he's just reacting to the effects of the stimulator... simulator. At least my invention works… but I have to get out of here._

Bra ripped herself away from him. She fought the urge to grasp the wall for support as she straightened and walked away from him wordlessly.

"Bra?" he asked. There was a note of surprise in his voice at her cold treatment of him. Why did he expect more?

She paused, turning to throw a callous appraising glance over her shoulder. Goten's face looked… hurt? She never could stand to see him hurt… maybe she _should_ say hi.

Her lips parted slightly, as though she intended to speak… but no sound was emitted. _If I do say something, it had better be meaningful and epic and… to hell with it. _Bra closed her lips. She turned back around abruptly, and marched determinedly down the stairs.

_I can't fuck you up like Pan did to Trunks, Goten. But even if I could, I wouldn't. What's the point? It's unsatisfying. Meaningless physical violence. What I want is to fuck you over._

She had a date to prepare for.

Goten stared after her retreating form in silence for a moment. He then shook his head to clear his thoughts. Bra had every right to ignore him like that, and to be as insensitive as she wished. He'd left her in the worst possible way.

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, he extended his hand to push the door to Pan's room open. He winced at the sight which greeted him.

"Eek! Pan, you're naked!"

Pan, who had been in the process of pulling a t-shirt over her head, froze. She still had the t-shirt wrapped around her arms and head, and was still clad only in her underwear below that.

"Goten, have you heard of knocking?" she mumbled from under the fabric as she blushed and struggled to pull it down over herself without ripping it. She inwardly wondered why she was blushing at a family member seeing her almost-nude, but then again… things had changed, and she did kind-of have a date with this family member in a few hours.

"Sorry, Pan. Whoa! Why are you so bruised up? You're bleeding from everywhere!"

"... Shouldn't you have commented on the injuries before the nudity?" The shirt had finally been pulled down and it revealed Pan's piercing glare of death.

Goten's hands went up in a gesture of surrender and he paled, "I'm sorry, Panny. I'm a guy, and I saw boobs and went into shock. I still have a hard time remembering that you own a pair… Eek!"

Goten ducked as a small piece of furniture went flying his way, "Pan! I'm just kidding. What happened to you?"

"This morning Trunks… tried to have… _a conversation _with me."

"I always told that guy he shouldn't mess with you. After all, you were named after the strongest weapon in the universe. The ultimate weapon. It strikes fear into the heart of every warrior!"

Pan sighed at her Uncle's private joke for her, the same silly one he'd been telling her since she'd been old enough to fly.

She pulled on a pair of jeans as he finished the worn-out joke, "The Frying Pan!"

"That still hasn't become funny, Uncle Goten," she said, pushing past him, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to fix my face and book a vacation."

"Panny, don't want to hang out with your old uncle? Don't even have a few minutes to catch up?" he asked her retreating form. She turned back briefly. She felt a wave of sadness at the broken relationship, for when she looked at Goten she felt none of that innocent childish love that made her want to hug him endlessly and beg him for ice cream. No, she felt mostly rage. Tinged with disappointment and disillusionment. One of her fairytale heroes had turned out to be a villain.

"Not for you," she answered, "Not now. Maybe someday if I can look at you again without feeling angry about what you did to my best friend."

Goten remained silent as he watched her walk away.

* * *

When Bulma heard about the days' events she had yanked Trunks out of the regeneration tank, still dripping wet and not completely healed.

"I don't care how badly hurt you are," she had said, her hands on her hips, "You're not getting to skip work because of it."

Now Trunks stared at the paperwork before him, his head throbbing painfully and his eyesight blurred. It wasn't so much the physical pain as the humiliation of defeat which dizzied him. And not just the physical defeat.

_Where is that damned stapler? _Trunks was throwing open every one of the drawers in his desk and rummaging madly through them. When he got to the bottom drawer, his fingers touched an object which made him pause. A deep crease came to his brow.

The phone rang and snapped him out of his stupor.

"Trunks Briefs speaking."

"Hey, man. Have you set up your date with the sexy doctor yet?"

"Date? She hates me and tried to kill me, why would she date me?"

"Kill…? Oh, I'm not talking about Pan. I meant Medea."

"Oh. No, I haven't."

"Great! Well, I hope you don't mind if I go first."

"Go ahead."

"By the way, bro… what did you do to my niece? I saw her naked earlier and she was bruised from head to toe."

"…Why the _HELL _were you looking at her when she was naked?"

"Relax… whoa, what are you, jealous? It was an accident; I just walked in on her like that. Oh, Bra was there too."

"…Was she naked as well?" asked Trunks in confusion, "Have they become lesbians? That would explain why Pan can suddenly resist me..."

"What!? No… Bra had her clothes on. Lesbians? You're kidding right?!"

"Well, they are practically living together these days…"

There was an awkward silence on the phone.

"Anyway," said Goten, clearing his throat, "About Medea. I'm thinking of taking her to the beach. She said she likes beaches when I asked her about her fantasies, so I figured why not? Plus I'll get to see her in a bikini."

"That's actually a really great idea. Better than what I was thinking of."

"I know. So I just wanted to warn you, she is probably going to fall madly in love and lust with me and not even bother going out with you."

Trunks frowned, rubbing his aching brows with his thumb and forefinger, "Yeah, you're probably right. I'm not that great with women."

"…What? Where'd your competitive spirit go? You were all gung-ho for this little tournament yesterday."

"I think I left it in Antarctica."

"…What?"

"Nothing, never mind. Yeah, Goten. I'll take her on a date too, and we'll see who she chooses. I'll do my best to impress her."

"Cheer up, bro! It'll be fun. Just like old times. We'll even make a bet out of it."

"Yeah. Sure."

* * *

Goten stood barefoot in the sand, gazing out at the horizon as his mp3 player pumped music into his ears. His date was late, but he didn't really notice. His mind was elsewhere. He kept glancing to the north, his eyes following the gently curving shoreline. His mind continued to follow the shore far beyond the point where it disappeared from view. He saw the great cliffs which would swell the landscape in about 50 kilometres, he saw the aerial view of well maintained gardens and forest, and he saw the scattering of unique, breathtaking mansions. He swallowed back a lump in his throat as a memory came rushing back to him, provoked by the song he was listening to:

_on a cobweb afternoon__  
__in a room full of emptiness__  
__by a freeway i confess__  
__i was lost in the pages__  
__of a book full of death__  
__reading how we'll die alone__  
__and if we're good we'll lay to rest__  
__anywhere we want to go_

_He held an information brochure and was scanning through the pictures casually while following her through the massive rooms. _

_She turned to him, her eyes alight with excitement, "What do you think, Goten?"_

_A few weeks before she had signed a massive contract for her first invention, and even though she had made the deal under the Capsule Corp. company, she had dealt with every aspect of it herself, and as the patent was in her name, she had received a juicy cheque. _

"_Well, it's a lovely home. In a lovely neighbourhood," said Goten, slipping his arm around Bra's waist and looking at the real estate agent squarely, "But are there schools nearby? My fiancée and I want to have children. Soon."_

"_Ah… I think so, sir," said the real estate agent as he nervously searched the map._

_Beside him, Bra had buried her face into Goten's shoulder to conceal her giggles at his playful lying. Whenever she reacted like this, it just egged him on. He couldn't help continuing. _

"_Well, it's important. We're going to start working on it as soon as we buy the house, so I need to know if this is going to be the right neighbourhood to raise our… 8 children in once they're born. We might have one in the oven already, right sweetie?"_

_Goten affectionately patted Bra's stomach and she promptly paled, then blushed, and then began to cough violently to conceal her laughter. She snaked her fingers around Goten and pinched his butt hard to let him know that he was going too far. His ridiculous joke would probably be in the news the next morning. _

_The poor real estate agent had dropped his glasses in surprise and fumbled for them madly. He had been showing Bra and Goten around for most of the day and Goten had been doing his best to make him as uncomfortable as possible. _

_The two had enjoyed pretending to be a couple long before they were one. Goten would defend Bra from gold digging lecherous hounds that seemed to be stalking her at every corner by assuming the role of the big strong boyfriend. Perhaps it had been their play-acting which had led so easily into reality. Now they were play-acting that they were married or engaged whenever they went out shopping or anywhere they could make a silly spectacle. Would they someday turn that into reality too?_

"_Can you just give me a few minutes to look at it again?" Bra had asked the realtor._

"_Of course, Miss Briefs. Take as long as you'd like, I'll be out in the car."_

_Bra had walked from room to room as if in a daze, staring at the ceilings, running her fingers over the marble countertops, staring at the ocean view from each room. She tried to imagine herself living in the home. It was a huge step. She had never lived away from her parents, and wasn't even really sure that she wanted to. Goten followed her, as usual, hypnotized by the sway of her hips. Whenever she'd stop to appraise something or to mumble something to herself he couldn't resist the opportunity to touch her and hold her. _

_in your house i long to be__  
__room by room patiently__  
__i'll wait for you there__  
__like a stone  
i'll wait for you there__  
__alone_

_Eventually she found herself in the bedroom, walking around in circles with her hands on her hips and trying to imagine the room with furniture in it._

"_What do you think, Goten?" she asked in a hesitant voice, "Is this me? If I lived here would you come and visit me sometimes?"_

"_I'm not sure," he had answered mischievously, approaching her, "Let's feel out the vibe of this place."_

"_Goten!" she'd protested, laughing as he advanced on her, quickly placing his lips against hers. He lifted her against him and pulled her legs up around him, making her red skirt ride up as he pushed her back against the glass panel which made up the bedroom wall. _

_on my deathbed i will pray__  
__to the gods and the angels__  
__like a pagan to anyone__  
__who will take me to heaven__  
__to a place i recall__  
__i was there so long ago__  
__the sky was bruised__  
__the wine was bled__  
__and there you led me on__  
_

"_Goten! Someone could see!" she'd protested pulling her lips from his and glancing over her shoulder. There were a few boats out on the water, and anyone with good eyesight or binoculars would have had a spectacular view of her bare bottom pressed up against the glass._

"_Then let's give them something to talk about," he'd said, holding her up against the glass with one hand and fumbling to open his zipper with the other hand. He moved quickly, and using one finger he yanked her thong down and ripped it off her. _

"_Goten…" She'd gasped as he positioned himself at her entrance, raking his swollen member back and forth along her flesh._

_She hadn't been expecting this, and her body hadn't been fully ready—but when Goten was this close, her blood pulsated and throbbed and her insides grew moist and ready for him almost instantaneously. _

_She cried out as he entered her, closing her eyes and clinging to his shoulders for dear life. He felt too large at first, but her body had quickly adjusted and welcomed him. He'd thrust his full length in and out of her quickly, forcing her body to slam again and again into the cool glass._

_Just when he felt her body shuddering and approaching orgasm, he stopped, holding her close and kissing her deeply. "Let's see… where will you put the bed?"_

_He carried her, with her legs still wrapped around him, over to the floor in the center of the room. He laid her down gently before picking up where he'd left off. With her hair spilled out all around her, Bra moaned, her back arching off the ground as she became lost in bliss. Her fingers dug into Goten's shoulders as she braced herself against the pain and pleasure of his delicious lovemaking. _

_in your house i long to be__  
__room by room patiently__  
__i'll wait for you there__  
__like a stone  
i'll wait for you there__  
__alone_

_He loved the way that her body shook in his arms when she had an orgasm, and he loved the way she screamed his name. He waited until he felt her release, the tension in her body dissipating into softness, before he allowed his own seed to gush out inside of her. Panting, he held her close for a few moments. He kissed her temple lovingly. _

"_I guess the house didn't shake _too _badly. I approve."_

"_I like it," said Bra, breathlessly, "I really like it. The house, I mean."_

"_Will you let me stay here with you sometimes, Bra?" he'd asked, suddenly shy as he stood up and helped her off the ground. He fixed her dishevelled clothing, tugging her skirt back down into place before zipping himself back up._

"_Of course," she'd said, blushing, "Isn't that why you came along with me? Because it's important that you like it too… since you'll be staying with me sometimes."_

"_I thought I came along to see if the walls could handle my powerful thrusting." _

"_Goten!" she'd scolded him, laughing as she picked up her ripped thong from the floor and shoved it into her purse for safekeeping. She'd sew it back together later. _

"_I don't know why you bother wearing underwear at all," he'd said grinning. _

"_And I don't understand why you don't!" she'd countered before turning around to glance at the room once more. _

Could I really live here?_ She asked him telepathically. Goten approached and hugged her from behind, kissing her neck and gently swaying her from side to side. _

Can you imagine me making love to you here a thousand more times?_ He asked her in return._

"_Only a thousand!" she had complained, "I would have thought a saiyan man had more mileage left in him."_

"_I do. I'll make love to you several times a day until I can't get it up any longer, or until it falls off."_

_Bra laughed, "That's better. You're so silly. Let's go purchase this thing."_

_and on i read__  
__until the day was gone__  
__and i sat in regret__  
__of all the things i've done__  
__for all that i've blessed__  
__and all that i've wronged__  
__in dreams until my death__  
__i will wander on_

As the song finished, Goten's memory faded and he was brought back to reality with the waves lapping at his toes. _Just how many hundreds of spoken and unspoken promises have I broken?_ If Goten had missed anything in these past few weeks without Bra, he'd missed waking up beside her. Going to bed with her, holding her all night, and waking up beside her. He'd had no idea how deeply he'd been connected to her, and he felt a bit like an idiot living at home with his mother again.

There was no way that Chi-Chi was easier to live with than Bra, regardless of how much Goten loved his mother. He just felt lost lately.

Another memory came rushing back to Goten. One of Trunks. An angry, extremely pissed off Trunks who sat with his head in his hands in his ransacked, blown-up office.

"_No, I am NOT going to apologize! How can that bitch not trust me? Fuck her! Do you hear me, man? FUCK HER! I don't give a rat's ass if I was wrong. I don't give a flying fuck if this ruins everything!"_

"_Trunks, for Dende's sake, calm down… she saw what she saw and overreacted. Are you telling me you wouldn't have gone nuts if you'd seen her with another man? Seriously Trunks, calm down. You love Pan, and this isn't you."_

"_NO! Obviously I don't. Who the fuck are you to tell me who I am? I'll tell you who I am! I'm not a fucking pussy whipped weakling like you! If my sister snapped her fingers you'd go running like a fucking golden retriever, wouldn't you?" Trunks whistled and patted his lap, "Here boy! Sex and food, Goten! That's all it takes to control a pussy like you!"_

"_You're way out of line, man… what's wrong with you?"_

"_What's wrong with me? What the fuck is wrong with YOU! I'm a descendant of the royal saiyan bloodline and I'll be damned to hell if some woman is going to fuck with my head like this! Control ME like this."_

"_Trunks…"_

"_Here, Goten!" Trunks had fished in his pocket, pulled out a small velvet box, and chucked it at him, "If you want to play these stupid women's games, you go and do it. Take the damned ring and go propose to Bra. Kami knows I don't need that thing anymore. You go and be a pussy. I'm done."_

_Trunks had stormed out of the office, and for some reason, Goten did not feel angry at his friend. He felt… sad. Guilty. He felt as though he'd done something wrong. Goten looked at the small box that he held between his thumb and forefinger, which Trunks had so rudely flung at his head. He opened the box and gazed inside at the magnificent diamond. How he would have loved to give something like this to Bra! Yet… she deserved more than a castaway ring originally intended for her best friend. She deserved a ring chosen specially for her. _

_She deserved a ring fit to grace the hand of a princess. Goten was just a poor boy from the mountains, who lived in Bra's magnificent house which she had paid for. He had nothing to give. He could never afford a ring like this. How much had Trunks spent on the thing? How many hundreds of thousand? Or millions even, knowing how Trunks liked to go all out. Goten gulped. He knew he'd never be able to afford that much. He couldn't afford anything… and Bra deserved someone who could. Someone who gave back at least as much as he took. _

_Goten felt the weight of his friend's ever-present shadow on him as he stared at that ring. He felt helpless. Trunks had always been better than Goten in every way. He'd flaunted his one year of additional age, his greater strength, his endless amount of money, and the fact that he could have any woman he wanted. When Goten had been younger it hadn't bothered him much. As he'd grown older, he'd found that it did get under his skin more than he'd ever admit to anyone. Most of all he wanted his friend's respect. He didn't want to be a sidekick to an impressive alpha male, he wanted to be a man who could stand on his own… but somehow this could never be. And now… Trunks saw him as lower than ever. Now, Trunks saw him as a "pussy whipped weakling." Was he really so worthless? _

_Once… when they had been younger, Trunks and Goten had had competitions in charming women. It had been the only thing Goten ever really felt he could do almost as well as Trunks. Women loved his innocent charisma and handsome masculine looks. Maybe… maybe if they could go back to those days, he could feel a little less worthless._

_Goten closed the ring box, and tucked it away inside Trunks' desk. Someday when his friend cooled down he'd probably want it again. Anyway, Goten had no need of it. Would never have any need of it._

Goten continued staring out at the water, wondering how many of his decisions were made solely on his own desires, and how many were rash and hot-headed, intended just to prove points or to make impressions. Bra had been _his_ happiness. She'd had nothing to do with Trunks and his screw ups, she'd been his and his alone. They'd existed in their own little world, far away from everyone else, happy on the edge of the ocean. Happy. But had she really been happy with him? Even though he could offer her nothing? No. She couldn't have been. Then why had she been so angry when he'd left?

Why had she been so cold to him this morning, unless she really had loved him as much as he'd loved her… loved him flaws and all… poverty and self-confidence issues and all?

Goten shook his head to clear the thoughts. Seeing Bra again had simply hurt too much.

Why did he always feel the need to prove his masculinity to Trunks? He wondered if he really wanted Medea or if she just served as the trophy for another competition between the two men. It had gotten to the point that Goten hardly knew what he wanted. He just went with the flow, wanting what he believed he should want. What Trunks believed a man should want. Doing whatever made a man a man.

Goten felt the cool breeze of the sea ruffle his hair and was startled when two warm hands slowly slid around his waist until small slender arms had encircled him. He felt a warm body, including two soft but firm mounds of flesh pressed against his back. His heartbeat quickened.

_Bra? _–This was his first thought as he looked down at those hands, his eyes clouded with emotion. He violently yanked his headphones off.

"Hey handsome," came the familiar voice.

A few strands of long blue hair danced over his shoulder in the wind, illuminated by the fading sunlight.

_Bra! –_He thought, completely elated. He fully intended to turn around, take her up in his arms and never let her go again. He would beg and plead and cry for her forgiveness.

Just as long as she never looked at him again the way she had that morning.

He turned around in her arms, a massive smile on his face—a smile which disappeared as soon as he saw the girl's face. It wasn't Bra. Of course it wasn't. He'd abandoned Bra, and he had planned to meet with this woman here and now. Why was he expecting a miracle?

"Goten… you're not happy to see me? Were you expecting someone else?" asked Para with a frown. She of course, had heard his thoughts, and had heard him call Bra's name in his mind.

"I am happy to see you, Medea," he said, sighing and offering her his arm to stroll along the beach, "I have just been lost in thought. It's been a long day."

_It's been a long few weeks… since I left her, _he added inwardly to himself. _Get a hold of yourself, Goten. You made your bed, now lie in it. Move on; seduce the woman you intend to seduce for the hell of it._

Para strolled alongside Goten, glancing at his face curiously as she read his thoughts. She squeezed his hand and stopped their stroll by asking softly, "What's wrong?"

"I… I ran into my ex-girlfriend today," Goten found himself saying, without intending to. He frowned at himself, _well, that's not how you seduce a woman. Great job, idiot._

_Actually, sweetie, I ran into you. _Para stroked his arm gently, "What happened? Did you realize you're not over her?"

_Of course I'm not over Bra. How could I ever be… but that's not the half of it_, thought Goten.

"The way she looked at me… I guess it made me wonder if I'm really a good person. My father was this hero… everyone loved him, and he was just the most noble and innocent person you can imagine. I look a lot like him… but the truth is, on the inside, I'm nothing like him. My brother is a really good person too. Everyone in my family is so pure and perfect, and I just can't live up to that."

_Oh, Goten… why haven't you said such things to us? Why did you need to spill your heart out to a complete stranger? Well… he did ask Pan to talk this morning, and she did cruelly brush him off. I'm a bad niece… _Para gave him a small hug in an attempt to comfort him, resting her cheek against his chest.

"I hardly know you Goten, but I think you're being too hard on yourself. Only a good person has such doubts about their own virtues," said Para softly. _A good person who does terrible things. I hope you feel sorry, and I hope you beat yourself up about it. You ruined the life we had together, you ruined everything… and you broke my heart._

"You couldn't possibly understand," he said, but he hugged her back, slightly comforted by her words and embrace, "You haven't met my family."

"What about that violent niece of yours?" she suggested with a smile. _There's one Son you'll agree isn't pure and perfect: me._

Goten smiled sadly, "Even Panny. She may be physically violent, but inside she's as good as gold if you get to know her. She only fights for what she believes in. Me? I don't even know what I believe in. And even if I did know… I don't think I'd be strong enough to fight for it."

She leaned back and looked at him with surprise. Who knew Goten had so much turmoil beneath that sweet, seemingly unperturbed surface? Maybe she hadn't been as sensitive a girlfriend as she should have been… _but of course you'd fight, Goten. It's who you are; you have warrior's blood in you. You fought Majin Buu when you were just a child, and then a whole host of villains in your adulthood… you've always fought to protect those you love. What has made you feel so insecure?_

Goten gave Para a small smile and took her hand, linking his fingers with hers and beginning to walk along the beach again. He gazed off into the distance, imagining Bra's house. _All I know is that I was so happy with her. Happier than any man ever has the right to be. And I didn't deserve that. She deserved so much better than a poor stupid boy from the mountains. I'm nothing. _

Para stopped walking again, listening to his thoughts, and feeling chills run through her. She stared down at their feet—both of them were barefoot in the sand. _Goten… why do you get to decide what I deserve? I loved you, and I wanted you. Dende, if only I'd known the way you felt… if only I could have read your mind sooner and eased your every apprehension and doubt…_

"Hey Medea, can I ask for your professional advice on something?" asked Goten awkwardly, staring down at his feet and wiggling his toes in the sand, "It's a weird question, but I think a doctor would know the answer."

"Sure."

"Is it possible for girls who weren't lesbians before to suddenly become lesbians? Like if something really bad happened, if they were mistreated by men?"

"No, Goten. Lesbians are born that way, it's predetermined in the brain. Specifically, the hypothalamus," Para looked at him curiously to try to figure out where this was going.

"Oh, good. Because Trunks said that my niece and his sister might be lesbians."

"WHAT!?" screeched Para, falling over. She lay sprawled, half in the sand, half in the water. She felt an explosion of giggles consume her, and she couldn't suppress them.

"Medea! Are you OK?" asked Goten, falling to his knees at her side.

"Yes, I just stumbled. I'm so clumsy," she said, between giggles.

"You have such a beautiful laugh," said Goten, smiling and leaning close to her.

He studied Para's face intently, brushing his thumb along the line of her chin. _It doesn't really matter if Bra's a lesbian or not. That's over now, I ruined it. Seize the fucking moment, Goten. Here's a beautiful girl, right in front of you. An incredibly beautiful girl. She's not Bra, but whatever. It will piss Trunks off if she chooses me instead of him, and that's worth something at least. It's for the best in the long run. I don't deserve anything more than miserable loneliness._

Para looked up at Goten frantically, fear dancing in her midnight blue eyes, _No… if you really don't want this, don't do it! Just turn around and… forget these damn games, and I will too… and we'll just go back to the way it used to be. We'll just be happy together. _

_It's over with Bra forever, _thought Goten with determination. _I was an asshole to make sure of it. She hates me; I could feel the ice in her glare. So… let me kiss this woman to solidify that. Let me finally pass that point of no return, where I hate myself so much that I wouldn't even be able to condone begging Bra for forgiveness. I deserve worse than that evil look she gave me. Far worse. Here goes. No return. _

Para leaned backwards, shocked to hear these thoughts, _No! Don't solidify… you mean, you haven't kissed any other women? You haven't slept with a dozen other women? You haven't cheated on me like Trunks did to Pan? But why all the flirting in the clubs? Why… Goten? Why?!_

"Medea," Goten was saying as he leaned in towards her and cradled her face in his hands, "There's something I've wanted to do since I first saw you. I know we hardly know each other… but for two strangers to kiss on the beach in the sunset is hardly a crime."

_Dende, you look so much like her, _he thought as he moved forward and dipped his face to place his lips against hers. He kissed her gently and probed her lips with his tongue until they became soft and parted. _And you even taste a bit like her… if I just close my eyes and imagine…_

Para wrapped her arms around Goten's neck and she threw her body against his in response to his warm kiss, _Goten, it's me, it's me! Please just… let's forget about all this and just go home. I'll tell you who I am and we can forget about this ridiculous charade…_

_Shut up, Bra. Seriously, I'm not going to let you take over Para and screw up our game. Why? Simply because of this: these are Goten's private thoughts we're hearing. He doesn't mean for them to be public, and maybe even he himself will not acknowledge them. Don't forget, he's my uncle and I love him too, and I want nothing more than for both of you to be together and happy. But UNLESS he publicly and OPENLY makes an apology to you, unless he comes out with all this… then I won't allow you to be hurt again, and I won't allow YOU to be the first to make a move toward him. Let's look on the bright side. At least his rebound woman is you._

_Pan, can you save the lecture for a time when we're NOT kissing Goten? Seriously, I can't concentrate on a damn thing you're thinking. This is… so… good… _

_It's not bad._

_Not bad? I bet he's a better kisser than Trunks!_

_Don't even go there, girlfriend! Trunks has magic lips. _

_Ha! Wait until you see what Goten can do with his mouth._

Para ripped her justifiably schizophrenic self away from Goten and moved away, smiling coyly. She was wearing a white summer dress over a crimson red bikini, and she pulled the dress off and tossed it into the sand. She opened her small purse and pulled out two decorative chopsticks which she deftly used to tame her wild hair into a makeshift bun. She also discreetly activated her lipstick-looking Blutz wave simulator to see if it would have any discernable effect on Goten. _No time like the present for testing products._ That done, she tied the small purse to her hip with her bikini string.

Para walked into the water, checking the time on her watch. She turned around once the water had reached her thighs and smiled.

"Goten, want to know a secret about me?" she asked in a playful voice, cupping the water with her hands and splashing herself.

"What's that, Medea?" he asked, already following her and gazing hungrily at her radiant exposed flesh.

"I'm part mermaid," she said with a wink, before disappearing under the waves. She swam just under the surface for a bit, coming up for air long before she needed it to appear more human.

Goten was already swimming beside her and she laughed.

"There's a little sand bar we can rest on not too far from here… see it?" he pointed, treading water.

"Yes," she exclaimed, "Race you there!"

Para dived under the water again and swam at what she believed was a human speed, but still pretty fast. Goten obviously was trying to do the same. It was a double deception. He let her reach the sand bar just before he did.

"Wow! You really are part mermaid," he said with a smile, crawling over to where she lay on the sand and positioning himself next to her.

"I bet you let me win," she teased, running her finger over his dripping wet chest.

Goten couldn't resist gazing down at her body, _Dende, this woman is incredible. Just looking at her gets me so hard. For a human, that's some serious muscle! Her body actually reminds me so much of Pan's… I want to rip off that bikini and replace it with my mouth. Whoa! Weird sequence of thoughts, Goten. I want to rip the bikini off MEDEA, I wasn't thinking about Pan like that. It's just that Pan's the last female I've seen almost naked, and that's why I must be comparing her body to Medea's body. What delicious breasts. Her nipples are erect, they're just begging for my attention… and once I get her wet enough, I can make my way between her legs…slowly, Goten. Slowly._

While Goten struggled with his thoughts of desire, Para couldn't help blushing as she listened in on them. _What kind of asinine thoughts go through a man's brain? Dende. He recognized my body as his niece's and he STILL wants to eat me out! Ewww… ohhhh. That is nice. I wonder if the amplifier's working?_

Goten had begun to kiss and nibble on her neck and collarbone, working his way down to the exposed flesh of her breasts. He used his thumbs to massage circles around her nipples through the triangular pieces of fabric that formed her bikini. She gasped as he used his finger to shift her bikini top aside, and promptly captured her left nipple in his mouth. He began to suck and nibble ravenously on her breast, and Para felt the sensations spread through her deliciously. She couldn't resist moaning and writhing under his hot tongue.

Her fingers found their way into Goten's hair and she found herself gripping his scalp a bit too forcefully as her body hummed with pleasure. She felt herself losing control over suppressing her power level as she relaxed—she fought to regain focus so that her ki didn't spike upward dangerously and raise suspicion. She tried to relax her grip on his hair.

"Go… Goten…" she found herself gasping as he moved his lips to her other breast, leaving the other one exposed and so sensitive that even the cool breeze stimulated it tantalizingly. He moved his hand down to her stomach. He placed the palm of his hand flat against her abdomen, directly over her womb, and released a small but warm river of pure energy into her body. As his ki mingled with her own and spread through the channels around the organs responsible for reproduction she felt her body reacting independently—she felt her muscles constricting in a powerful spontaneous orgasm.

For the moment of her release she almost let go of her suppression of her ki, but she was barely able to hold onto it. Her chest heaved with her deep breaths, and she hoped that Goten hadn't noticed her orgasm—it was a bit embarrassing that she was able to climax so quickly. But then, he was very skilled and had pushed all the right buttons. She saw him smirking, and she knew that he knew. He must have felt the muscles in her stomach contract, and he must have noticed the small spike in her ki, regardless of how she tried to control it.

He wasn't finished with her yet. He moved his lips back to kiss hers and slowly slid the hand which rested on her abdomen lower, and lower. He cupped his hand over the flesh between her legs, rubbing gently through the thin fabric of her bikini for a moment. She opened her mouth to protest, but he had already begun moving his fingers under her bikini and sliding them along the moist folds of skin there.

He plunged two fingers inside of her at once, making Para gasp in surprise. He immediately withdrew the fingers, glistening with moisture. He ran them lightly along her stomach and over her breasts before bringing the fingers to his lips and placing them in his mouth.

"You taste too good," he said gruffly, moving his lips down to kiss her mouth again, and enjoying the thought that she might taste herself on him. _Rice pudding with a sprinkle of nutmeg meets crème brulee… no, vanilla pudding meets lychee jello meets… almond ice cream meets… Bra… sweet, juicy, tasty Bra. Why can't I stop thinking of Bra? Even at a moment like this? Especially at a moment like this._ _Anyway, this girl is driving me crazy… her smell, her taste… it's all too divine. I want a better taste of her nectar. _

He broke his lips away from hers and began to drag his face down her body, his barely-there stubble grazing against her flesh in a manner which felt absolutely scintillating. He moved his face over her bellybutton, lower, and finally he used his shoulders to roughly nudge her legs apart and to take in the view of her moist, swollen vulva, and her delectable bottom covered in sand. She was completely turned on and ready for him. He smiled at her before lowering his face to her body.

_Oh, yes, please Goten. Please just use those gorgeous lips and suck…_

Her watch beeped, bringing her back to reality.

"Wait!" she said, gasping and crawling backwards in the sand before he could make contact with her. There were only ten minutes left in her fusion.

He frowned, crawling forward to chase after his retreating meal, _the little wench wants to play hard to get now? Now, after I've gotten her dripping wet and she's been moaning like mad?_

"Goten. This is going a bit too fast for me," she forced herself to say, even though she was dying to completely finish what they'd started. Her cheeks were rosy and her breaths were short and quick.

"Too fast?" he repeated dumbly, "But I've been taking my time to get you warmed up…"

"No!" she said, straightening her bikini over the parts that were exposed, "I don't mean physically. This was just supposed to be a date to get to know you… we weren't supposed to get so carried away!"

"But now that we know we have chemistry," said Goten, crawling over her and gazing down at her hotly, "Wouldn't it be nice to keep going?"

Goten took her hand and guided it onto the front of his swimming shorts where his throbbing manhood spoke to her of his arousal more than his words ever could. She gulped, and moved her hand over the engorged organ, unable to resist feeling its size and stroking it a little bit.

"Medea," he whispered, gasping and leaning close to her ear, "Wouldn't you like me to hammer that into you? I promise it will be the best thing you've ever felt in your life."

She then abruptly stopped caressing him and pulled away. The same hand that had been timidly giving him pleasure a second ago suddenly swung into his face and connected in a firm slap. His head swung to the side with the force of the slap, but mainly from the surprise of it. Para had restrained most of the force which she yearned to put into the smack. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. Mainly because she did want him, very badly. She needed to turn off the simulator, now. She could hardly think straight.

"You ought to be ashamed," she said, standing up. She was about to open her purse to find the simulator and turn it off, but her watch beeped again. Eight minutes. That was hardly enough time to swim back to shore and get to a safe distance before un-fusing.

Goten rubbed his cheek as he stood up, surprised that he had even been able to _feel _the slap of a human girl. He looked at her angry eyes, her tousled hair, and her trembling body swathed in a thin film of sand and he only felt his arousal grow, and the ache in his groin intensify. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"This was supposed to be an innocent date," she accused, "I haven't even gone out on my date with Trunks yet. If you were trying to force me to decide that I wanted to see you instead of him, this wasn't the way to do it. All I learned about you today is that you're dominated by sexual impulses."

Para wanted to get away from the situation as dramatically as possible. She had lifted her feet a few inches off the ground and was about to fly away before she remembered she was supposed to be a weak human girl and mentally smacked herself. She was too shaken to think! Too much out of control. It looked as though Goten was so distraught from sexual aggravation that he hadn't noticed her blunder. She slowly descended back onto the sand and ran towards the water.

"I don't want to see you ever again, Goten," she said, sending him the exact same disappointed look that Bra had given him earlier that morning before plunging herself into the waves and swimming for shore.

She tried to swim at a normal human speed while still making sure she'd get away in time for the fusion, but when she was almost at the shore she felt a strong hand wrap around her ankle and pull her back down under the water, completely submerging her. She felt a moment of panic. She turned to view her attacker nervously.

Would she have to fight and display her strength, possibly revealing her identity, or would she be detained long enough for the fusion to wear off, thereby revealing her identity anyway? Time was running out.

* * *

Thank you all for the lovely reviews you've given me so far!

If you want to come chat with other readers, feel free to join our Facebook group: Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak. In the event that I need to take this story off this website, all the chapters and reviews will be saved there. =)

**jazzyfizzler:** I read your review over and over. Thank you SO much for commenting on so many aspects of the story and for being so enthusiastic! I drank up every drop of your enthusiasm and I used it as fuel for me to write this chapter. =D BY THE WAY, I am so glad you thought it was funny he had lavender curlies too! You made me feel a lot less dense for never having thought of that before. Most of all, I'm so glad you found the sad parts sad, even though the funny parts were kind of mixed in. I was worried I'd intertwined them too much. Anyway, your reviews are amazing and leave me feeling deliriously happy.

**Ken Trunks:** Thank you again! I really liked what you said about how Pan and Bra are becoming dependent on Para. That's definitely something I wanted to portray and I'm so glad you mentioned it. I'm going to address this as the story goes on too. I am glad you were angry at Trunks! =)

**famoso:** You just about have me all figured out! Trunks and Goten are definitely both attracted to Para because of her resemblance to their respective lovers. I'm not sure if there can really be a "good reason" for cheating, but I'll _attempt_ to make everyone a bit more sympathetic to the guys as the story goes on.

**Phantasom:** The kind of review every writer hopes for! I am so glad you connected with it so much, and I am really amazed you were able to cry in that chapter because there was so much humour mixed in with the sad parts. I cried while writing it though, so I'm really happy that you're feeling me here! I'm so glad you liked Pan winning the fight, and I really hope you enjoy what I have planned for future chapters.

**Leecassi:** You are so sweet. I just want to hug you. I don't know why, but your reviews always leave me feeling so affectionate, like I want to cuddle, by a fireplace, with hot chocolate and… cute puppies running around. I think your reviews cause my body to produce excessive amounts of oxytocin. =) Thank you again!

**CutiePandachan:** I'm glad you enjoyed Pan kicking butt too! Hehe. I don't want to give it all away, but yes, things are going to get complicated soon. =D

**Suzki:** Thanks for your feedback! I actually used your subtle suggestion of the girls becoming "too intimate" for inspiration for my lesbian jokes in this chapter. It thrills me to know you like Para's character. I'm very happy that you were angry at Trunks too.

**hot4dbz:** Thanks for your review! I am happy you liked the fight scene and think he's a "douchebag" too!

**CruelVidel:** Your review and suggestions for the story have been so extremely helpful! I hope you get a chance to read my updates sometime soon. =)

**summerlovin76:** Thanks for your feedback! Hope you enjoy the chapter.

**Elyseexp:** Thank you!

**talk smith kid:** I'm working on it, lol.

**mumz3l-Neskouiik-Bura:** Very glad you like the pairings!

**SpicyShani:** Thank you so much for another sweet review! I'm so glad you like this fic too… your review on Loud Silence really motivated me to work on it, and the chapter's almost complete… but this story is just writing itself for some reason! I can't stop working on it, hehe. Too many ideas!

**marai pan:** Thank you for your feedback! I agree that if they do get back together it can't be done easily and there has to be a lot of suffering before that. I definitely will work with that idea. By the way, I really enjoyed reading your story!

**The0Blind0Writer:** You can bet on it! Gotenks will definitely make an appearance, it's practically mandatory as he is the original crazy fused saiyan. But I can't say when or why. It's a surprise!

**Agusds:** Thank you! I really like your summary: "Pan and Bra were hurt but when they are together, are very dangerous." I think that's a really succinct description of the story.


	6. In Pure Starlight

_Chapter Six: In Pure Starlight_

This one is going to be fun. I found it fun to write, and I really hope you all like it!

I'm trying to keep Japanese out of this fic completely, but it's so hard when I'm used to Trunks calling her "Pan-chan" and other little things. But way back in the day most of us watched at least Dragonball GT in Japanese, maybe some of DBZ, so we were used to learning a bit of Japanese to properly experience the show. But I think these days now that everything's translated, it's not as important for us to know it. Anyway, I'll keep the Japanese in Loud Silence. =)

**SpicyShani:** You picked up on one of Para's new talents! Thinking as two separate people when fused, and struggling for dominance. I actually feel guilty for doing that, because it's not supposed to be possible. I really couldn't resist though! I'll explain why she can do that in a later chapter. Thank you SO much for your detailed commentary on the chapter! Again, knowing the emotions that it gives you means the world to me. It's also really helpful for writing the next chapter!

**jazzyfizzler:** Come here, you! I'm going to give you a saiyan-sized helping of HUGS and totally squash you. Your review = the bomb. You're right, my Gohan is a bit passive. I just get so tired of reading the same old overprotective Gohan beating the shit out of Trunks, and I decided to try to be a bit different. I've also written him like that in just about EVERY one of my stories and I needed a tiny bit of a change. Plus, the characters here are older and have been together for a while, so I want to have them fight their own battles a teeny bit more. I am so glad that the Goten/Pan breakup made you sad because I FELT SO SAD WRITING IT. I don't think I've ever ever written about Goten and Pan having any kind of problems before, and it BROKE MY HEART. OK, I'm going to stop before I cry. Most important of all, I am really glad you are flipping back and forth between loving and hating Trunks like that! PERFECT! Thank you again for your awesome review and ENERGY! (Caps are great! *MUAH*)

**Ken Trunks:** Thank you once more for your feedback! I'm glad you liked Pan's thoughts while kissing Goten, haha. I am trying my best not to make the incest parts too creepy! Trying to keep it a little light-hearted and funny. I sometimes wonder if I'm a bit crazy for wanting to write something so incestuous.

**famoso:** You're really picking up on all my little hints about what happened with Trunks and Pan. You're a very careful reader! I am glad to hear that you are sympathetic for the guys.

**CruelVidel:** Thanks for your feedback again! Your review really inspired me to focus on the Trunks-problem with a little more depth in this chapter than I originally intended. It's really hard to find the perfect balance between hating him, and portraying him as an ass, and making him seem regretful and sad and like a good person. This is challenging.

**Suzki:** I really was amazed by what you said about Goten's low self-esteem. You're totally right that Bra probably deserves better. I just kind of wanted to address the dynamic between Goten and Trunks and how it's affected him his whole life. I hope I didn't make Goten seem too weak! Hehe. Thank you so much for your review!

**hot4dbz**: I know, right? I am sooo excited for the moment when they realize it's her too. That will definitely be the climax. I can't wait to write it. I want to jump up and down on my bed just thinking about it, lol. Thank you for your feedback!

**The-lastsaiyan1991**: I am so glad you enjoyed the chapter! Really glad to see you enjoying this story. =) Thanks for reviewing!

**mumz3l-Neskouiik-Bura**: As you requested, here is the Para/Trunks action! Hehe. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think!

**Elyseexp**: Omg, thank you! You are so sweet, I am glad you think the story is well-planned. Thanks for your feedback on the flashbacks and I hope to reveal a bit more about what happened in this chapter. But just a little so that you stay curious!

**Hanako**: Here's the chapter you requested, as fast as I could! Thank you for your very inspiring and motivating review, and I am so glad you were pulled into the story. You make me smile!

**Valaera**: Glad you like it!

And finally, to my flamer (at least I think it was a flame):

**trunkspan**: You wrote simply "why is trunks so terrible to pan. i hate it"—I'm not sure if you hate the story or if you hate Trunks being mean to Pan. But to answer your question: (at least I think it was a question) Trunks is being mean to Pan because that's how people treat each other in the real world. I've learned that art is supposed to imitate life.

But if you're looking for fluffy stories where nothing bad happens, I wrote a bunch when I was 13 that are still up on my profile. They aren't really impressive with regards to plot and character and etc., but I can guarantee one thing: Trunks is nice to Pan! And they all get married and live happily ever after and have babies.

(How young and foolish I was back then. But I still had pretty good grammar. And a mean left hook.)

Sending you all infinite Canadian kisses!

~PanHopeNvs~

* * *

She felt herself being tugged down to the seabed and she struggled lightly. When she felt the sand against her side she rolled onto her back and tried to see through the disturbed and darkening waves of water. Two strong arms descended on either side of her shoulders.

Goten was there, holding her fast underwater, and staring at her intently. There was a strange lusty look in his eyes which worried Para. She still hadn't turned off the simulator… but the effect of pheromones should be dulled underwater, right?

_Medea, can you hear me? _He spoke telepathically.

She didn't want to respond telepathically to reveal that she knew how, so she merely nodded, looking at him with surprise. Goten ran his finger along her cheek, as though memorizing her features.

_I'm so sorry for rushing you, Medea. I didn't mean to cause you discomfort or anxiety. You know, men and women are really different when it comes to these things. _

Para looked at her watch and saw that there were less than five minutes remaining. She put her hand over her mouth as though she were in need of air. Goten gently removed her hand and lowered his face down to kiss her, giving her the air from his own lungs. He then continued to kiss her for several seconds until she broke free and ducked under his arms, swimming for the surface.

She ran toward her discarded clothing on the beach, and he followed her.

"Medea, please… give me a chance to make it up to you. I don't know what came over me, but I really have never felt such a lack of control!"

"You are not a gentleman, Goten Son!" As she said this she picked up her white dress and tugged it down over her body. She then turned to run away from the beach.

He blurred in front of her placing his hands on her arms almost obsessively. She glared at him, wondering why he was being so careless with their family secrets and powers.

"Tell me you didn't feel that! You didn't feel more connected and deeply attracted to me than you've ever felt to anyone?" Goten asked, dripping wet and looking absolutely wretched. _I lost Bra forever. I even lost Panny for Dende's sake! Please let me keep a small portion of this woman's respect. I can't lose Medea too, before I've even had her. What's wrong with me? Why do I have to be such a moron?_

_He's trying to use me to replace us, _thought Para sadly. Her heart went out to Goten—both Pan feeling regret for being cold to her uncle, and Bra yearning for her love. _Don't worry, Goten. Things will be right again soon. Oh, great. Wasn't the whole point of all this to make him suffer? Now that he is suffering I can't bear it! I suppose he has been suffering all along. I just didn't know. And I suppose there's no way to make someone you love suffer without hurting yourself in the process._

The watch beeped. Three minutes left of fusion.

"I have to go now, Goten." She fished in her purse to find her device and end the emission of Blutz waves. That would help to clear the raging hormones.

"You can't deny that there's a powerful connection between us. I've never felt this way about someone that I've just met. I think there's something far greater at work here… like destiny."

Para resisted the urge to make a gagging sound or to laugh hysterically, and she simply smiled and nodded. _That's the oxytocin and vasopressin talking. There is something greater at work here: Science and Revenge. Oh, and that connection you feel might be the fact that I'm two of the people closest to you, whom you know very well and have pre-established connections with. _Para felt the strong urge to grin and punch Goten hard in the shoulder, a classic gesture of affection from his niece, but she restrained herself and remembered the ploy.

"I agree, Goten," she said, sighing deeply, "This _is_ a powerful connection. I'm just… scared. Things are moving too fast for me. Physical intimacy isn't something I take lightly. I need to be assured that our connection is a lasting one first. I don't want to give myself to you and then find that it didn't mean anything to you, and have you just… walk away from me." _Again. You asshole._

"I would never do something like that," said Goten, swallowing at the lie and painful memory of Bra's hysteria when he'd done exactly that to her.

"Oh, Goten! I knew you were an amazing man. Just like your father who you mentioned earlier, I'm sure," said Para, giving Goten a gentle hug and a small sarcastic peck on the cheek. If a peck on the cheek could be sarcastic. _No, you're not like Grandpa Goku. He may have broken Grandma's heart a dozen times but never by chasing after other women… only for important reasons. _Her watch beeped two minutes.

"I hope you don't mind, but I need to go now."

"Just promise me I'll see you again!" he said, putting his arms around her and hugging her tightly.

"I…" Para closed her eyes as she leaned into the hug. Goten always had given the very best hugs. This was something that every part of Para agreed on.

Goten spoke firmly, stubbornly, "I won't let you go unless you promise this isn't the last time I'll see you."

_I can't be detained any longer. Two minutes is pushing it. I'll have to run away and use instant transmission if I waste any more time. And the technique might fail. I might teleport to Trunks and un-fuse in front of him. That would be stupid. Very stupid. _She hesitated and pulled away, "Yes, alright. We'll see each other again. Take care, Goten."

Para jogged away, nervously looking at her watch as she fished for the capsule car in her purse. She un-capsulated it as soon as she could duck behind a building and out of Goten's sight. She dove into the car and immediately started driving away as fast as possible, before she'd even had a chance to put her shoes back on.

This time she was driving when she un-fused and the car swerved uncontrollably into oncoming traffic, and Pan had to quickly correct the steering before they crashed.

Bra groaned, putting her head in her hands, "I have no self control when it comes to that man!"

"No kidding," said Pan, fanning herself with one hand and driving with the other, "You nearly had sex with him right there. _That _wasn't part of the plan. I really had to struggle to get control over Para a few times… you even nearly told him our identities!"

"I couldn't help myself, Pan. I love him so much, and he's so sad. I miss the way things were between us!" Bra ran her fingers through her hair, which caused a small shower of sand and water to fall onto the seat of the car, "But a large portion of that desire was artificially awakened, I think."

"Sure. It's either that or you're the horniest woman alive, and making me suffer the same feelings through our fusion!"

"Sorry," said Bra blushing, "Maybe it's a bit of both."

They stopped at a red light and Pan suddenly grinned and looked over at her friend.

"Isn't it disturbing to know how much Goten thinks about food during sexual activity?" Pan put on her best Goten-voice and imitated him, "Rice pudding, almond ice cream, crème brulee, YUM YUM YUM!"

Bra giggled, "I didn't know he did that before today."

"There's a story in my family that my Grandpa Goku thought marriage was food, and that's how Grandma Chi-Chi convinced him to marry her."

"No way!" said Bra, laughing, "Your family is crazy. Well… Goten doesn't just think about food. He also thinks about me, so it's OK."

"It's OK that he thinks about you when he's with another girl?"

"Just you wait. I wonder what Trunks thinks about. Probably paperwork."

"I never gave him time to think during sex. I kept him too occupied," said Pan, winking and accelerating hard as the light turned green.

"Well, you wouldn't know because you can't read minds," said Bra, placing her arms behind her head in a cocky, smug way. She glanced out the window at the scenery they were passing and sighed, "I love this technique. It's so very useful. You have to help me develop it!"

"Alright. What am I thinking now?" asked Pan as she made a left turn.

"You're thinking…" Bra examined her closely for a minute, and was unable to get any reading whatsoever. She concentrated and closed her eyes and still heard nothing. She frowned—why was it so easy to do it as Para? She then looked at her friend's body language, glancing at how tightly she held the steering wheel and how tensely she sat and began to giggle profusely, "You're thinking how embarrassed you are that you got so turned on by your uncle!"

"I am NOT!" said Pan, blushing fiercely, "That wasn't me, that was Para… and it was completely your fault! I was just feeling YOUR thoughts and YOUR emotions."

"Maybe… but then why is it still affecting you now? I can't read your thoughts, but I can see that you're still just as hot and bothered about the whole thing as I am. I bet you can't wait to get home and get into the shower!"

"Your fault," mumbled Pan, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment. Even though she and Bra had made a pact not to ever blame each other for Para's behaviour, she couldn't help it.

"Not totally my fault, Miss Son. Remember when Goten put Para's hand on his sausage? Well, I remember feeling a very small amount of curiosity. Now tell me Pan, why would I feel curious about something I already know so well?"

Pan slammed on the brakes. She grabbed a bottle of water and uncorked it before proceeding to pour the entire contents of the bottle over her head.

"I blame your damned invention for this, Bra!" she shouted, shaking.

"Yes!" squealed Bra, pumping her fist victoriously.

"This whole Para situation is messing with my brain. Just wait and see how I get you back for this! Wait until our date with Trunks! You'll see," Pan grumbled.

"Aw. Panny's embarrassed for wanting to take a closer look at the _family jewels_?" said Bra, grinning, "You know, I think there was an old movie made called "The Family Jewels" where a girl had to choose who to marry from six of her uncles, and you know, in some cultures… OUCH! OW! Pan, don't hurt me, don't hurt me! Calm down. I'm just teasing you because I love you… and this car can only conceal so much ki!"

A bright yellow aura had formed around Pan as she growled at Bra, "I did this to help you, and you repay me by making fun of me!"

"Pannnnnyy!" whined Bra, tugging on her friend's sleeve, "But that's what friends do. They tease. I was just kidding around."

"And now you're manipulating me with the cute routine the same way you manipulate your father!"

"OK… OK… I'll stop."

They drove on in silence for a few minutes before Pan began to chuckle, and then launched into a fit of laughter that resembled a seizure. Bra looked over at her and was about to enquire what was behind the laughter when she understood. She couldn't read thoughts in this state, but she could read Pan. Bra began to giggle helplessly herself.

_Lesbians! They really thought we were lesbians?! _wondered Pan, who couldn't speak over body-rocking spasms of laughter. The car swerved out of the lane again and she corrected it clumsily.

_Well, at least they have no clue what our REAL activities are, _thought Bra smugly_. When we're through with them they're going to WISH that we were lesbians._

* * *

"So, Trunks, want to hear about how my date went?"

"No, not really."

Trunks balanced the phone on his shoulder as he placed his signature mindlessly on the papers piled high on his desk.

"What's wrong with you, man? Forgot to take your PMS medication?"

"Goten, quit it. I'm just not in the mood." Trunks sighed as he fished around for the stapler that he was constantly losing.

"Don't worry. I can get you in the mood. I know exactly what you want and I'm going to give it to you. Lots of it!"

"Um. Goten?" the confused look on Trunks' face was replaced by a startled one as a knock sounded on his office window. He didn't have time to stand up before Goten let himself in, carrying several bags of takeout food which smelled heavenly. He closed his flip phone and shoved it back into its holster on his hip with a big smile.

"I figured out the reason you've been so grumpy lately. Pan always used to treat you with a midmorning snack around this time, and without her tender loving care, you've been practically starving!"

"That's not all she used to treat me with," mumbled Trunks.

"I draw the line there man, I definitely won't do THAT, not in your office. Maybe if we go somewhere else."

"Goten?"

"But can we do it later? I don't really feel like sparring now."

Trunks breathed out in relief and Goten laughed, "Relax, man! I'm just trying to cheer you up."

"Thank you, Goten," he paused, strumming his fingers on his desk with a forlorn look on his face, "I found the ring yesterday. You left it in my desk."

Goten nodded, sitting on the edge of his friend's desk and sinking his teeth into a giant hamburger. Trunks studied him for a second, and leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath.

"I realize that I lost my sanity for a while after Pan caught me with that girl. I took out my anger on Pan, on you, on everyone… I said really terrible things. But I didn't mean any of it, Goten. I just couldn't believe that things were falling apart so quickly. I really lost it."

Goten chewed and swallowed, "I know. That's in the past now anyway. Let's not bring it up anymore. You did what you did, I did what I did. Let's just move on and have fun. You should set up your date with Medea!"

"Look! I don't want Medea, Goten." Trunks slammed his fist down on the desk.

Goten watched his friend warily, and shoved the food aside, "What do you want?"

Trunks looked up at his friend with misery etched in every contour of his face.

"I want my Panny back."

Goten stared at him. He tried to sense his ki for his emotions and felt… despair? He swallowed, identifying with the feeling well. Why was Trunks telling him this? Ah. He wanted permission.

"Trunks, you know that you can have anything in the world."

A small spark of hope came to Trunks' eyes.

"You've been hearing that since you were born, hearing that the world is yours. It's totally true; you are not only the Prince of all Saiyans, but you're a prince of earth too, in a way. You're the CEO of the world's biggest corporation… you _can_ in fact, have _anything_ you desire on the planet."

Trunks stood up, feeling inspired by the younger man's words. Goten had always looked up to him. His pride and vigour came rushing back to him. It was true. He wasn't just an ordinary man, and he'd very much needed to be reminded of that. He wanted to hug his friend for his kindness and compassion when he most needed it.

"Thank you, Goten. I really…"

"Except Pan."

His smile faded and his hopes receded, "What?"

"Not her. Not ever again. You can have a dozen women in your bed in a few minutes if you really wanted. Just walk through the office and ask them. Heck, I'll ask them for you. There are women literally camping out on your doorstep 24/7."

"But…

"But they're not Panny?" mocked Goten in a whining voice, "No shit, Sherlock. You're just going to have to get your kicks out of the dozens of other women around, human or not."

"Not for kicks…"

"Why do you think I'm here? I know that Pan has been your best friend for over the past decade, ever since you two went into space. But you and I had decades of friendship before that. So here I am, the original Son best friend, the replacement, to cheer you up with hamburgers and keep you from having an emo tantrum."

Trunks resisted the urge to retaliate, "I really appreciate that you've been there for me, Goten. But it's not quite the same. She's…"

"I know who she is. Why do you want her so much all of a sudden? Because she no longer wants you? She's not playing hard to get, Trunks. She IS impossible for you to get. Everyone knows that you cheated on her, including my brother. Well, Gohan doesn't really want to believe it. He believes in you, for some reason."

"And you don't?"

"What is there to believe in? You admitted to me you cheated. You're like a brother to me, you always have been… closer to me than my own brother in some ways. But have you seen Pan lately? She looks like the walking dead, and she won't even give me the time of day. You took her from me. _You turned her against me_. "

Goten knew that it wasn't just Trunks… it was also his own actions which had caused Pan to become estranged from him, but he couldn't help blaming his friend. He couldn't stop laying blame, even though he knew in the end it wouldn't assuage his own guilt, but only make it worse. He still couldn't stop.

"You didn't just break her heart. You broke apart my family!"

"Goten," Trunks began, closing his eyes in pain. This man _never_ grew angry with him. Trunks could do the most despicable things imaginable, and Goten would be there by his side, supporting him, having his back. Always. No matter what. It seemed this was changing.

"Trunks, you know it's true. She used to be this happy, loving, laughing girl. You took such good care of her when she was in College. Now I hardly recognize her! She's become so violent and messed up and… I want you to stop chasing her. Forget Gohan… he's an idealistic idiot and he doesn't know you like I do. But I'm putting MY foot down. I don't want you going near my niece anymore. Fuck ANYONE you want, I don't care! Fuck the whole world, literally! But not her, not anymore."

"How can you ask that? She's everything to me."

"Ha! No one means anything to you except yourself! I've known you since we were kids, and I know this more than anyone. You only ever think of yourself, and even at the age of 40 you're not ready to really love another person. I guess I'm not either, but at least I'm man enough to admit it. I'm man enough not to chase after your sister when I know I am not good enough for her, not to hurt her again."

"Goten… I need Pan."

"No, you need to get laid. Look, if you don't want the generic fangirls, go after Medea. She's not just another random woman, she's special. I'm not really sure if she likes me yet, but she promised you a date. So do yourself and Pan a favour and _move on_."

Trunks stared at his friend without really seeing him. His hand went to his neck and he pulled off his tie and shrugged his shoulders out of his blazer, "There's something I need to do."

Trunks blasted through the window leaving a bluish trail of ki behind him and Goten frowned.

"He didn't even have a hamburger! Oh well, more for me."

Trunks knew he needed to talk to Gohan… the one person who still believed in him.

* * *

The tension between the two men was thick.

Videl poured a steaming hot cup of tea for their guest before sitting beside her husband and looking up at Trunks.

"Well, sweetie. What did you come here to tell us?" she asked in a friendly manner.

Trunks took the tiny teacup into his hands and stared at it for a moment before sipping it.

"It's about Pan…"

"Oh, Trunks, it was probably something silly, wasn't it?" asked Videl with a smile, "I know my daughter isn't perfect. I know she's always had a temper, and at times she's completely irrational."

Gohan stared at Trunks, unable to speak. Trunks glanced from Videl to Gohan, trying to find the words he needed.

"Pan wasn't irrational," Trunks said, gazing down at his tea.

"Nonesense!" said Videl with a laugh, "Nearly killing you is very irrational. You don't have to defend her. We know our daughter can be pretty immature, she overreacts to the slightest thing sometimes."

"She didn't overreact," said Trunks softly.

"Let me guess, she probably found some lipstick on your shirt?" offered Videl.

Trunks shook his head.

"Did one of your crazy fan girls call her and profess love for you? Try to threaten her?"

Trunks shook his head again.

Videl frowned, "Well, what happened Trunks? What sent her off the deep end? Did she find someone's phone number in your wallet? A receipt for going to a strip club? A photograph of you with another girl? What was it?"

Trunks stared at Videl, unable to speak. He couldn't believe that she was making excuses for him. He couldn't believe that they thought Pan had acted out of unfounded jealousy. He couldn't believe that they thought so highly of him, that they had trusted him so much, and he had disappointed them.

Gohan stared at Trunks, waiting for him to come clean and explain the situation. There must be an explanation. Why else would he be here?

"Trunks."

This was Gohan speaking finally, and the eyes of the two men met.

Gohan took a deep breath before proceeding, "I have always loved you as a dear friend, as a member of the family. I was so happy when I found out that you were going to be my son-in-law. There's no one else I could have trusted more. I knew that you always have and always would do everything in your power to take care of my daughter, to keep her safe from harm. I know that there's some mistake here, and that you didn't really…"

Trunks felt tears slip from his eyes.

It all sunk in. It fully hit him for the first time. He realized what he had done. He hadn't just betrayed Pan, he had betrayed her family. The family who had been his second family since his birth. He had betrayed everyone. He had lashed out at Goten and hurt him, and probably helped along the destruction of what Goten had with Bra.

Gohan had been his mentor for his entire life; he had been someone Trunks admired with every ounce of his being. If only he could have foreseen this moment when he had made that fateful decision… he never would have chosen to walk the path he had.

"I'm so sorry, Gohan."

Videl and Gohan shared a glance. A knowing glance that only a husband and wife could share, one that communicated volumes without the need for speech or gesture. Videl's lips became firmly set in anger, but she still couldn't bear to see Trunks upset. She went over to him and put her arms around him in a tender embrace.

Trunks welcomed this and cried against Videl's shoulder, finding comfort in her energy and her scent, both so much like Pan's.

Videl stroked his back in a motherly fashion, and when his sobbing subsided she held him at an arm's length and dotted his tears away with a handkerchief. Then she spoke, her voice as cold as ice:

"I think you should get the fuck out of our home."

Trunks blinked. One moment Videl was kind and gentle, the next moment she was a raging she-demon. Just like Pan. The Son women were in a league of their own.

"Videl," scolded Gohan in a tone of warning. He didn't want her to be rude to Trunks, but Gohan was having trouble controlling his own anger. Even as he spoke the teacups were rattling on the coffee table. Books were falling off the bookshelves as the ground vibrated as he fought against his rising ki.

"What she means to say," corrected Gohan, slowly and carefully, in a voice which frightened Trunks, "is that we would both be very happy if you would _please_ leave our home."

Trunks couldn't help but listen to that authoritative voice which was so even and hostile it made his blood freeze. He stood and walked to the door. Videl followed him and stepped outside.

"Don't you dare go anywhere _near_ our daughter again. Do you understand me, Trunks Briefs?"

Trunks nodded, speaking in a cracked whisper, "Yes, Videl."

"She deserved better than that!" Videl hissed. She advanced on Trunks and shoved her finger in his face, "You've known her since her birth, how could you? I should have known. I should have expected this! There's only one man on this planet who is more famous and more loved than you are."

She crossed her arms over her chest, "That man happens to be my father. His fame and fortune got to his head and he was a complete screw up when it came to his family. I should have known that despite all of your physical strength, on the inside you were no stronger than _him_."

Videl turned around and marched back into the house, slamming the door behind her.

Ouch. There could have been no greater insult to a warrior like Trunks, one who was able to defeat Mr. Satan with a flick of his wrist as a toddler, than to be accused of being mentally just as weak as the buffoon. And to know in his heart that it was true.

Goten had been right, of course. There was no longer any chance for him with Pan. No one in her family welcomed him any longer.

He had to move on. He had to force himself to move on. And there was only one possible way he could think of doing that.

As he took off into the sky he gazed behind him at the houses of Mt. Paozu and the beautiful forests and rivers of the landscape. He had so many memories in these mountain valleys. From his earliest childhood… he looked away to stop the pain he felt at being no longer welcome there.

He pulled his cell phone out of its holster and dialled a number. It was time for him to move on.

* * *

Trunks was waiting at the fountain in West City's largest mall, Dragondale Heights, and checking his own watch sporadically. He only had a 45 minute lunch break, and had agreed to meet with his new lady-friend for a casual noontime date in the mall. It was something to take his mind off Pan.

He saw her walking up from a distance, and he took in her unusual orange and black summer dress. It was a type of style he had never seen before, and it looked like a melee of two different garments. Rather stylish and fashion-forward. Her smile was what threw him off-guard. She looked so cool and confident that she made him feel a touch nervous. There was something uncanny about her; she was definitely special.

That smile on her face… it was almost as though he'd seen it before. It reminded him of someone. His father? The inane thought made him smile. Yes, he was surely going insane.

"Good afternoon, Medea," he said giving her a small hug.

"Hello, Trunks," she said brushing her deep indigo locks out of her eyes, "It's good to see you again. I'm curious about why you wanted to meet here."

"Well," he said, leaning close to her as speaking in a low tone as though conspiring, "I happen to know one of the most closely kept secrets on the planet."

Para felt a shiver of excitement at his words, even though she was certain she knew all of his secrets. She gazed at him attentively and curiously before moving her lips to brush ear, "I promise I won't tell."

Trunks smiled handsomely, taking her hand and guiding her through the mall, "They just opened up a new shop. They serve the very best ice cream in the universe. I'm not kidding."

_Better than on Planet Imecka? Or Gelbo, or Pital? _Para wanted to ask, but instead she just murmured in excitement as she followed him, "I wonder what flavours they have!"

When they reached the little shop, which was adorably named "Intergalactic Ice Cream" and decorated with space themed decorations, Para was seized with a childlike delight. She ran to the glass and gazed through at the flavours. They were about thirty in total, and all named astronomically, for example "Venus Vanilla," "Asteroid Apple," and "Supernova Strawberry."

"Oh, Trunks!" she exclaimed in awe, "This is so wonderful! What a selection!"

"What would you like, Medea?" he asked, feeling a smile take over his face at her reaction. Her sexy smirk and elegant confidence had instantly disappeared and had been replaced by an incredibly sweet innocence. He felt more attracted to her than ever before. She was acting so much like… a Son!

"One of each!" she blurted out instantly, her eyes big and round as she stared at the rainbow assortment of colours.

"I'll have one of each," Trunks told the shopkeeper as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

The shopkeeper stood there with his mouth open and dropped his ice-cream scooper. Trunks frowned at the reaction and then he froze as realization hit him. He slowly turned back to the girl who was still staring through the glass with excitement.

"Uh, Medea?" he asked, his face contorting into weird shapes. She turned back to look at him curiously.

"What's wrong, Trunks?"

"You want one of… each?"

"Peach!" she corrected hastily, feeling a rush of terrified dismay at her forgetful mistake, "I said "peach," Trunks, I simply love peach!"

He nodded, relieved. And also not-so-relieved, because frankly, he had really wanted to try one of each.

Para glanced back over her shoulder at the display, silently praying that there _was_ a peach flavour. Then she saw it, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Pluto Peach."

The shopkeeper had scooped their scoops, and Trunks had paid, and the couple now strolled around the mall while licking their respective cones. Para's stomach growled at her. A saiyan having an ice cream cone for lunch is the equivalent of a human having a tic tac. At least they were suffering together. It was the price of dating supposed humans. They chatted for a while, making small talk, before Trunks asked the fateful question. The one question that had the power to divide Para into two more efficiently than a Destructo Disk.

"So, Medea, would you like to do some shopping?"

"YesNO!" said Para, nearly coughing from the effort it took to twist her tongue simultaneously into the shapes her brain was commanding her to. She also had a small spasm in her shoulders as a mini war raged inside her brain and nervous system. It was lucky that she was a fused saiyan and not an Android, for the question pushed all of her capacities into conflicting overload, and if she were mechanical she would have surely short circuited and died on the spot.

"Did you just say Yes and No at the same time?" asked Trunks, raising an eyebrow. A ancient chord was struck in his memory at the sound of her dual voice and he turned to her with a serious look on his face. He couldn't quite put his finger on it…

"I said Yes! Someone behind me said no, you must be hearing things, silly," Para clutched his arm and smiled cheerfully. Trunks shrugged and brushed it off as nothing.

_Dear Dende. That really hurt. My brain hurts. Why couldn't I just say "No?"_

_Pan, I'm a type of warrior too, and THIS is MY battlefield. I'm steering this ship until further notice. I believe it was Sun Tzu who wrote in such detail why it is important to know your terrain._

_Damn you, Bra Briefs! You can't apply "The Art of War" to a shopping mall. I won't allow this._

"Great! I'll take you on a little shopping spree. Buy anything you want, anything your heart desires," said Trunks, kissing the fused saiyan woman on the cheek.

Para almost squealed in delight, but then a very contrasting serious look came over her face, "Trunks, I won't have that. I don't want to spend your money, and there isn't anything I really need."

"Whoa! Now you're sounding _exactly_ like my ex-girlfriend!" said Trunks in surprise, "I thought there was only one woman on earth who didn't love shopping."

"I guess there are two of us," said Para with a nervous laugh.

_See, Pan! Shut your fat mouth before you blow our cover. Kami! _

"Hmm. Very strange. This is an interesting phenomenon," Trunks joked as he put his face very close to Para's and poked her nose, "Are you sure Pan isn't in there somewhere?"

Para whirled around to hide her sudden hyperventilation and her eyes bugging out. _Damn it! _When she turned around an instant later she had regained composure completely and wore a classic angry-female look on her face. One that made Trunks gulp, because he had often seen it on the face of his mother.

"Well, I never! Why do you want to spend time with me if all you want to talk about is your ex-girlfriend? Pan this, Pan that! If you are so obsessed with her, why don't you go and be with her instead of me?" Para whirled back around and began to march off, silently congratulating herself on being such a great actress. _3… 2…1…_

"Medea, wait!" exclaimed Trunks, catching up and gently circling her waist with his arm, "I apologize for mentioning Pan so much, but I was in a relationship with her for years and before that she was my friend for as long as she has been alive. To be perfectly honest, I don't have many connections with human beings, period, and she's one of the only people I can relate to. One of the only people I really know. Forgive my lack of manners." _I wish I _could_ go and be with her instead of you, even though you are a magnificent beauty… but she hates me for what I've done to her. And her family hates me even more. So, right now, this stupid game and this bet with Goten is all I have going for me other than working myself into oblivion. And maybe I can find some comfort in you. _

Para's face softened after hearing his words and thoughts. _Trunks is talking and thinking about me enough to scare any woman away. He's only here because he's lonely… because I abandoned him. Poor Trunks…_

"If you prefer we can go for a walk in a nearby park, or grab a bite to eat. Whatever you like, let's just spend some time together," said Trunks with his classic charming smile.

"Well, there is _one_ store in this mall that I have been dying to check out," said Para, her face lighting up, _Come along and buy me things, big brother!_

Para slipped her hand under his arm and led him to her favourite store in Dragondale Heights Mall: "Isadora's Intimates."

"Oh, Mr. Briefs!" said the shop owner excitedly, "I presume you are here to pick up the shipment your sister ordered? It just came in this morning!"

"No, I'm not. We're just browsing." _Really, like I'd deliver Bra's bras like some kind of delivery boy. _

Para cleared her throat and looked at Trunks with a sweet and confused glance, "I thought you were a kind and caring brother?"

Trunks mentally cursed, "On second thought, I will pick up the package for her."

_Bra, you weasel! _Para mentally scolded herself, but with affection.

"Oh, how very sweet you are, Trunks!" said Para, reaching up to give him a sisterly kiss on the cheek, "I always did think you could tell the most about a man from seeing how much he cares for his family."

Trunks grumbled softly to himself while thinking, _If only she knew how little my sister cares for me. How she goes to all possible lengths to avoid me. Especially lately._

_You know deep down I love you, Trunksie-poo, especially when you buy me things! This is so much fun, Pan. _

_Not for me. Let's get to the good part already. _

Trunks thought to himself as he accepted the package, _I guess I could stop by Bra's house later… but if Gohan senses my ki near to Pan's he'll probably show up with guns blazing… I'll just leave it in her room at C.C. for whenever she comes home. _

"Ah," said Madame Isadora, with her thick accent, "Can I interest the lady in some fine lingerie? Our undergarments are the very best, imported from Italy and France! They are guaranteed to add spice to the bedroom."

Trunks glanced around the store aimlessly. _I wonder what Pan would look like in that red and black corset. But she'd never wear something like that. _

"Oooh," said Para, pointing at the garment that first caught his eye, "I think I would like to try on that corset."

"That one is a piece of art, my dear! It will complement your figure and complexion very well. Why! You are almost the exact same body size as Miss Briefs, just with a bit more muscle on you. And her very complexion. Let me select a few more pieces for you to try. Your lover is gorgeous, Mr. Briefs. She is breathtaking!"

Para genuinely blushed as she made her way into the private changing area of the store. It was the first time in her short life of a scant few half-an-hour periods that she had been complimented by a woman. She heard Trunks think about correcting the woman's "lover" remark and then changing his mind.

Madame Isadora ushered them into a very posh private room and bowed politely, "Please take your time. I hope that you will find everything comfortable."

She then left and closed the door behind her: the changing area of the store was part of the reason Bra loved the place so much. It consisted of several small private rooms, each of them cylindrical in shape, and the walls were covered in mirrors for viewing every angle. Couples could go into the rooms and there was a little cushioned bench for the man, and a screen door for the woman to change behind. Bra had many fond memories with Goten in those changing rooms.

There was no way a man could sit in a small private room with a woman changing into imported lingerie and not jump her bones.

_Bra, this is ridiculous, _thought Para as she shrugged out of her clothing and pulled on the tiny black lacy panties that went with the corset. There was also a little toile skirt which barely covered her bottom.

_Really? Then why do your thoughts sound so excited. You little vixen, you're getting aroused from just feeling the clothing against you! Here, let me do up these clasps and you can take over from here. Should we turn on the simulator?_

_Hell no! I do not need that thing messing with my head right now. Our head, that is. Bra, is it really wise to reveal so much of Para's body? Her body looks so much like mine. I don't want to give it away. Trunks _knows_ what I look like…_

_Quit stressing and seduce the man already, sheesh. _Para slipped on the black heeled sandals she had been wearing before.

She took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the screen door, "Do you like it, Trunks?"

He looked up at the woman who smiled somewhat nervously as she wore the most alluring garment he had ever seen over the most unbelievable body. He scanned from her toes to calves to thighs to hips… moving up slowly and settling at her eyes. She was a fantasy. He stood up quite suddenly.

"Medea… you look…" he was at a loss for words. All he knew was that he was moving forward, and his hands were extending towards her as though he were magnetized. His hands slipped around her body gently, stroking the perfect hourglass figure accentuated by the corset. He let his fingers drift from her ribcage down into the deep dip at her waist, and out over her hips, then back up. He caressed her sides like this absentmindedly for a moment.

"You look…" _Almost as beautiful as Pan. _"Beautiful."

Para smiled at him amorously, but little did he know that it was the unspoken compliment in his mind which warmed her heart. The words which he could not speak, for fear of offending her. They were in no possible way true in the factual sense—both Para and Trunks knew this. Para was mysterious and strikingly beautiful, while in comparison Pan was a plain and simple girl. Beauty, however, is in the eye of the beholder, and the fact that Trunks felt plain Pan was more beautiful than radiant Para meant a lot to her. Was Para herself offended? Not in the least.

He moved his hand up to cup her chin, and brushed his thumb along her jaw. He stared deeply into her eyes, as though the answers to every mystery of life lay within them. They were so deeply midnight blue that he felt the same sensation he felt when looking up at the starry night sky. Respect, admiration, awe, and yet familiarity. He could get lost in those eyes, the same way he could get lost in watching the heavens. He was sure there was just as much mystery and wonder within this woman as there was beyond the stars and in distant galaxies.

He let his fingers drift back into the hair at the nape of her neck, and lightly caress her scalp. He ran his fingers through her hair, or at least through a few inches of it. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, savouring the sensation, but she opened them again to watch him as his hands drifted down her back and rested again at her waist. In the corset her waist was so small that his large hands almost encircled her completely.

Fuelled by raw desire and naïve wonder, Trunks tightened his grip around her waist and slowly drew her body close so that it was pressed flush against his. He felt her breasts press against his chest; he felt her hips press against his own hips. Her arms naturally moved up along his arms, and circled behind his neck, until the two were wrapped up in one another.

Their energy mixed and hummed around them as the passion mounted, neither of them noticing the translucent white aura. Trunks inhaled the scent of her skin, moving his hands slowly over her back. He mused at how easily a tug of his fingers could rip the garments apart, and expose her bare flesh to him completely. He could throw her down on the floor and have her right there in the dressing room. He would definitely make her scream, but he could clamp a hand over her mouth to muffle it.

Para heard these thoughts of his and felt shivers of fear and currents of delicious electricity run through her. She could feel all of his feelings and sensations through his thoughts and through his energy. Even without the mystical and spiritual connection to his psyche to gauge and share his arousal, she could see the desire in the hard glint of his ocean-azure eyes. She was lost as she stared into them, and she couldn't help leaning in closer to him.

_She is magnificent. Magnificent. I must have her. I have to remember to be gentle so I don't destroy her body… she isn't Pan. _

Para couldn't help smiling. The fact that Trunks was thinking of dominating her made her grow extremely aroused, and she could feel the moisture beginning to gather at the junction of her thighs. _No, I'm not Pan. I'm stronger. Destroy me, Trunks, just try it. Take my body just like you want to. _

All this tension and their lips had not even met yet. The two just continued to stare into each others' eyes, as though they were afraid to unleash whatever torrents and enigmas could result from that amalgamation of flesh. Trunks wondered to himself why he was afraid and he wondered why she looked so confident, why she was smiling. He briefly envisioned Pan's face with the same expression on it.

Para finally became the aggressor and closed the distance between them. She tugged his head down so that his face met hers, capturing his lips in their second first kiss.

Despite the massive yearning in both saiyans, the kiss was restrained and chaste. It was hesitant and careful as though their lips were testing and searching. It tasted to both of them like the few seconds before an explosion. The rumbling in the ground before a cataclysm. And cherries.

Perhaps it was the extraordinary coincidence of the manner in which their bodies and lips met, perhaps it was the unusual combination of their thoughts and feelings when it occurred, but both of their minds were catapulted back in time about twelve years, to a hauntingly vivid memory. It is possible the memory belonged to Trunks, and Para was sharing in it because of her ability to read minds. It is also possible that the magic of the moment gave them both the same memory. For whatever reason, it flooded both of their consciousnesses completely.

_Pan was leaning her chin on her forearms, with her forehead lightly resting on the glass window. She gazed off into space, focusing on the growing star in the distance that she knew was their own dear Sun. She had been staying like this for hours each night and she barely slept. _

"_Giru. Giru. Pan require rest for maximum function."_

"_Shhh, Giru," she whispered to the little robot, "Trunks and Grandpa are sleeping. I know I should be too, but I have too much on my mind."_

_Little did she know that Trunks wasn't sleeping. He watched her from the bed below, as he often did. Goku was snoring loudly and tossing and turning in his sleep. Somehow his foot always landed in Trunks' face, but Trunks had learned to ignore this in order to get a good night's rest. What he couldn't ignore was Pan's quiet and solemn vigil. The girl was normally so loud and obnoxious that when she was silent like this he became worried. _

"_Giru. Giru. Pan miss home?"_

_Pan turned to look at her soccer-ball sized companion. She smiled and reached her arms out, which gave the robot a small fit of fear that he was about to be injured, but Pan instead embraced him gently, pulling him close to her chest. _

"_Oh, Giru," she spoke, "Yes and no. It's too much to explain."_

_Trunks swallowed back a lump of emotion as he watched her. In the night, when she took off her bandanna and let her hair down, when she put on those adorable red pyjamas, she transformed into such a soft and vulnerable creature. And unbelievably wise beyond her years. _

_How many times he'd listened to her whispering to Giru in the dark, and how many times he'd wanted to go to her! To speak with her, to console her. It was lonely and disconcerting to be out here in space. Too lonely for a young girl who was growing and discovering life, and full of questions and new thoughts and ideas, too lonely for her to be conversing only with a spherical piece of artificial intelligence. He wanted to give her the human companionship she needed and deserved. _

_Now they were so close to home, and these wonderful, stressful adventures were almost over. They would go back to their ordinary lives. He would go back to working his mind numb at the office, and she would go back to preschool, or kindergarten or something of the sort. He watched her silently stare out into the night, and he corrected himself mentally that she was actually in high school. With knowledge and wisdom (and strength of course) far beyond most of the people he worked with in the office. _

"_I don't really belong there, Giru," she admitted so quietly that Trunks would not have heard if he didn't have superhuman hearing. _

_This was the last straw. He forcefully shoved Goku's tiny foot off his face and flew up to Pan's hammock, sitting beside her. _

_She was startled and let go of Giru, turning to look at Trunks with surprise, "I'm sorry, Trunks. I didn't mean to wake you. I'll keep it down."_

"_You didn't wake me. I couldn't sleep. What's wrong, Pan?" _

_She looked at him, her large dark innocent eyes shining in the soft bluish starlight from the window. This might be one of the last times he ever saw her face like that, he realized. On earth there were so many forms of artificial light that it blinded you. Pure starlight was a very rare circumstance. _

_She hadn't responded, but she had only looked at him. Was she observing his face in the same way?_

"_Pan? We'll be home soon. Shouldn't you be happy to see your parents again?"_

"_Oh, I am," she breathed, before closing her eyes and letting a small smile touch her lips. Trunks observed the girl with wonder, almost feeling as though she were suddenly a stranger. She seemed to transform into someone he barely knew in the starlight._

"_Panny?" he asked again softly, resisting the urge to move closer to her, or to reach out and hug her. He knew those things were innocent friendly gestures he had made countless times before, but somehow the lighting and the moment felt too uncertain. _

_She opened her eyes and spoke, "I exist only in liminality."_

_Trunks was floored. How did she even know what that word meant? He did reach out and touch her hair then, tucking it behind her ear. _

"_What do you mean?" he inquired, prodding her to continue. _

_She smiled weakly, "I don't want to bore you with my trivial troubles."_

"_Pan," he said with a low threatening growl, almost demanding that she continue. How dare she open up to Giru but not to him? Trunks glared angrily at the robot who floated away a little nervously._

_Pan looked surprised at his demanding tone. Trunks was rarely anything but gentle. _

"_I don't fit in very well with the humans on earth. I've gone out on a few dates…"_

"_You're too young to be dating."_

_Pan's shoulders moved in a silent chuckle as she looked at him in a way that made him know that she thought otherwise, "As I was saying… my strength scares them away. Boys are terrified of me, girls even worse. I have no friends. I'm not really great at being human. Neither am I fully a saiyan. To fighters like Grandpa and Vegeta, even to you and Goten and my dad… I'm pretty much worthless."_

"_You could never be worthless to us, Pan! We all love you."_

"_Oh, please!" she held up her hand to silence him, raising her eyebrow, "I have never been treated as though I were a _real_ fighter, and you know it. So I'm neither human nor saiyan, just hovering somewhere between. I'm not a child, nor am I totally an adult. And worst of all…"_

_She looked at him with embarrassment as she said this next part, "I'm not feminine, nor am I masculine. I'm not ugly, but I'm not beautiful either. I wish I could be more like Bra. How could anyone ever want to be with _me_?"_

_Trunks looked at her in surprise as she turned away from him and forced a light laugh to ease her distress from the moment of honesty. He studied the tension in the muscles of her face and her downcast eyes. He felt himself moving and speaking before he had given it any thought. _

"_Panny," he said gently, lifting her chin so he could look into her eyes, "I will give you my honest opinion. Right now, as I look at you in the starlight, to me, you absolutely perfect. Everything that you are, all of your strength and vulnerability, all of your humanity and saiyan-ness, I understand completely. All of your innocence and wisdom, everything about you is perfect. To me, you are the most beautiful creature that could possibly exist."_

_Pan stared at him with eyes wide in astonishment and almost disbelief to hear Trunks speaking to her like this. His words, his touch, they were comforting and kind—but there was something more than that. They were romantic. She studied his face, trying to understand where these words and emotions had come from. _

"_I promise you someday you won't feel as insecure… this will all pass away soon. The situations will be the same, but you will accept them much more than you do now. You'll grow to be more comfortable with yourself and in your own skin very soon."_

"_Thank you, Trunks," she said, gazing at him gratefully as she mentally committed his words to memory. Someday when she felt alone and inadequate, she'd remember that Trunks had thought she was perfect in the pure starlight. But it was likely that it ended there. _

_Trunks glanced down from Pan's hammock at the sleeping Goku who was half on the bed and half off of it. Then he looked at Giru and made a slight motion with his eyebrow while inclining his head. Giru understood and floated away compliantly. _

_Before Pan could fully process what he'd said, he had closed the distance between them, and slipped his arm around her waist. He smiled down at her as their noses almost touched and spoke as softly as possible. _

"_You asked how could anyone want to be with you? Well, I want to be with you. Someday, when you're a little bit older, you and I are going to be together. As a couple. Once you're legal for me to pursue down on the planet Earth, I'm going to have you as my own, Panny. For keeps. And I'll never let you go." _

_Pan stared at him wordlessly for a few minutes. She felt as though she were in some kind of surreal dream. What 14- year-old girl having a quiet sad moment on a spaceship suddenly had a heroic prince come and say the most uplifting and romantic things possible to her? Life was full of surprises. She'd seen a lot of strange things in the universe, but this surprised her the most. In a good way. _My sweet Trunks_, she thought before letting a smile settle on her lips._

_He seemed uncomfortable with her lack of response, and he spoke again:_

"_I never told you this before because I didn't want to seem like a creepy old man. I didn't want to scare you, but I just know that someday things will be like this. I won't stop you from dating those human boys your age. I won't interfere with your freedom for many years."_

"_My freedom!" Pan breathed, "How can you say that I'm free when every time we look at each other, all I feel is captivity?"_

_Trunks stared at her shocked and worried that he had said too much, too soon, "Pan…"_

"_Trunks. Don't you see? I'm already your willing captive."_

_He looked at her, astonished. He couldn't stop himself from running his fingers over her face, trying to capture how it looked in the starlight for memory. He also ran his fingers through her hair, and she closed her eyes at the amazing sensation. He loved the fact that she had accepted his words, the idea that had been floating around in his mind for so long. She would be his, someday. Someday when it was permissible, when it was acceptable._

"_Trunks," she'd said coyly, opening her eyes. She'd gestured outside the spaceship, "We're not on Earth right now. I'm legal out here."_

"_Pan," he'd said with a small warning in his voice, but she was already grasping the front of his pyjamas and pulling him close, "But you're still a citizen of…"_

_His meagre attempt at protest was hushed by her aggression as her lips captured his. Her lips were soft and supple, and they tasted like cherries. He had basically given her permission, given her an idea of his feelings and intentions. How could he expect a take-action girl like Pan to sit still on information like that? The kiss was chaste and tentative, for she was young and inexperienced, but it was also forceful and demanding, for she was saiyan. It was wonderfully liminal, just like her. He found himself putting his arms around her small body and deepening the kiss. Underneath her oversized pyjamas her waist was incredibly tiny and he loved the feel of her against him. _

_He couldn't believe he was kissing Pan. Not in five or six years like he'd planned, but _now_. He was kissing 14-year-old Pan. And it felt… completely natural. OK, a bit forbidden. But other than that, it felt like home. Goku was in the same room, albeit unconscious. The spectacular view of the stars only added to the mood, and to the dangerous thrill. _

_Trunks let himself become lost in kissing her, and only when she began to moan softly against his mouth did he realize that he had begun to use his tongue to explore her lips and to tangle with her own tongue a bit too passionately. His arms also held her body too tightly against his own and Pan was responding too fiercely, practically climbing on top of him, and making her hammock sway. _

_He held her away from him then, suddenly, feeling his cheeks redden at what they'd done. It was definitely too much, too fast. He calmed his breathing and tried to focus. Even the slightest, most innocent of touches… _

_He glanced down to check if Goku was still sleeping and sighed with relief when he saw him snoring obliviously. Pan noticed his action and giggled softly. _

_He turned back to her, and couldn't resist giving her one more gentle, soft kiss on the lips. She quieted down and just stared at him lovingly. He stared back, feeling his own heart soaring. There were a million reasons why he shouldn't be kissing Pan, but he knew that it was right. Her acceptance of his affections and her enthusiastic response told him that someday they would have something special together. _

_He couldn't wait until that day. Seriously. A mental clock had established itself in his head, called the "Countdown to Pan Turning 18 Clock." For years to come this clock would jump to the forefront of his mind every time he looked at a calendar. And then soon it would be replaced by the "Countdown to Pan Finishing College Clock," but he didn't anticipate that at this point. Both clocks, and what they represented would be violated many times anyway. _

_He broke their silent staring by asking her, "Do you think you can get some rest now?"_

_She nodded. He smiled, lifting himself off the hammock and into the air, but she stopped him from flying away by tugging his pyjama sleeve and looking at him with those pleading puppy-dog eyes. She was still young enough for them to have 100% success rate. He understood what she was requesting, and with another glance down at the sleeping Goku, he crawled into her hammock with her and pulled her against him so her head rested on his chest. _

"_Trunks," she had said softly, glancing back through the window, "I have a very bad feeling about home. Like something's wrong."_

"_Nothing's wrong, Panny. You're probably just nervous to return home after being away for so long."_

_She nodded, unconvinced, but snuggled closer against him. Within a few minutes she was asleep. _

_Of course, there was something very wrong on Earth, but that's another story. The point is, Trunks probably should have listened to her woman's intuition. His thoughts were mostly preoccupied with concern that Goku would wake and find them like this. Goku might look like a child at the moment, but he had two grown children of his own and he would know what it meant for Trunks to be sleeping beside Pan, however innocent it looked. However innocent it was. _

_But he couldn't leave. He knew she would just wake up and continue to stay up for the rest of the night, and he would stay up watching her. Teenagers had an unlimited supply of energy, but Trunks was 28, and even though he was a saiyan, he couldn't get by without sleep for days on end like Pan did. He would stay. It was the first time he'd ever held her as she slept, and the first quality sleep they'd both gotten in days._

Trunks snapped out of the memory suddenly, and was transported back to earth, to a tiny mirrored changing room where a beautiful woman in lingerie had her lips pressed against his and her body wrapped around his in an extremely erotic manner. And all he could think of was Pan. And his first first kiss with her.

_What the hell am I doing? _Trunks removed his lips from Para's. _I promised Pan I would never let her go. Do I really care what Videl said? Am I going to let her stop me from trying to win Pan back? This is larger than some stupid mistake. This is my life. Her life, our life. _

_And I'm in a dressing room with some girl I barely know in lingerie. _Trunks pulled away from Para forcefully and moved to sit on the little bench, resting his head in his hands.

_But Pan won't let me near her. But Pan still loves me, and if I'm persistent enough she'll crack! She has to…_

Meanwhile, Para had stumbled backwards, shaking at what she had experienced from invading his mind. She held onto the screen door for support. Para blinked back tears at the memory she shared with him. Tears partly caused by Pan's own emotions at the memory and Bra's emotions at seeing that moment for the first time. It was the first time tears had become acquainted with Para's eyes, but they did not fall. She willed them away before they could completely be gathered.

She turned to look at Trunks, her eyes clouded with antique emotions. She saw him again through the rose-coloured glasses of a 14-year-old girl, and_ he_ was perfect. He was her answer to everything, the solution to every problem. He was the kind of big brother she could respect and look up to. He was someone who was always there to step in and fight for her when the battle got too rough. He was the kind-hearted and gentle boy she had grown up with.

_And he really still loves me. He remembers our first kiss so fondly. I can feel that it still means something to him. Oh my goodness! He's so sad. What did mama say to him? When did he speak to her? _Para moved towards him, feeling the strong urge to tackle him with a gigantic hug. She wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and tell him the truth. _I'll tell him I'm Pan. That I do love him and will listen to him and we'll fix things._ She stepped forward.

"Trunks, I'm…" _PAN, NO. Kami. No! He cheated on you. We have no guarantee he won't cheat on you again! Just because it sounds like he misses you and regrets what he did… who can say that once he has you again he won't go back to his old careless ways. We need to teach him a lesson first. _

_Besides, look. _Para turned to face the mirror. Her reflection stunned her—her exotic features and knee-length wavy midnight blue hair. _You're not Pan. You're Para. You were born to turn on the ultimate seduction and test him. Screw with his brain a little. You haven't learned all you need to learn. Don't throw in the towel yet._

"I'm so sorry, Medea," said Trunks, running his fingers through his lavender hair, "It's just that… when I kissed you, I remembered something I'd almost forgotten. Something that happened a very long time ago."

Para still gazed into the mirror, but she shifted her eyes to glance at Trunks' reflection. He looked torn.

"I can't do this," he groaned. _This is by choice. This is me kissing another woman because I want to, not because circumstances forced me to. Not because I was conned into it by extortion. I can't, because this would _actually_ be cheating on Pan. And Pan is still mine. I don't care if she tells me a thousand times that it's "over."_

_Extortion? _she wondered to herself. _Is that what he meant to tell me? He was… blackmailed?_

Trunks looked up to see Medea looking at him with a very strange and soft look on her face, she looked hurt. _And I don't care what her mother and father say, or even what Goten says. Pan belongs to me. I promised her I wouldn't let her go. _

He moved towards her and cupped her face gently in her hands.

"I am unbelievably attracted to you, Medea. But you couldn't understand. No one can." Trunks placed his hands on her shoulders, looking into her sweet face passionately. He let the smallest of smiles overtake his face before speaking.

"When you fall in love with someone in pure starlight… that love lasts forever."

"Trunks," Para whispered.

He kissed her forehead, a brotherly kiss, "Thank you for reminding me. I've decided to do something stupid, and I'll probably get myself killed. If I survive, I'll call you. I'll probably need medical attention."

Trunks quickly exited the room, and Para stared after him, smiling. _My sweet Trunks._

He returned in an instant, and removed a wad of cash from his blazer, placing it in her hands, "I almost forgot I promised you a shopping spree! Go and buy some shoes and jewellery."

With that he winked and left again.

_Love you brother! _thought Para, fingering the cash which was probably a cool thousand dollars at least. She glanced at her watch and saw that she still had ten minutes remaining of fusion. _Just enough time to do some rapid shopping. _

_Hell no! There's only one kind of shopping we're doing. _Para immediately began to undo the clasps of the corset. She looked at herself in the mirror and paused.

_If he could choose the distant memory of a 14-year-old miserable boyish girl in oversized pyjamas over the gorgeous flesh-and-blood woman in fine lingerie he held in his arms… well if that's not love, I don't know what is! Personally, I'd go with me. _

_Thanks a lot. Thinking about me like that really helps my self-esteem! I'm in here too, you know._

_Sorry, Pan. That was a cute memory. I can't believe you tried to rape my brother when you were 14._

_Hey! It wasn't like that. _

_And you wished you could be more like me? Aww, Panny, that's so sweet._

_Can you blame me? You're drop dead gorgeous and have always had guys falling at your feet._

_Well, I wished I could be more like you. _

_Really?_

_Are you kidding? You're bold, you're bad, you're fierce. You hijacked a spaceship!_

_Well, look!_ thought Para, pointing at the mirror. _I guess both of our wishes came true. In a kick-ass and unexpected way! Here we are. _

The fused girl laughed lightly, running her hands over her body. _That's true. She's the best of us both. The perfect woman. _

_But I'm glad she has MY breasts, _Para thought, cupping the lovely mounds of flesh proudly.

Suddenly one of her hands left her breast and smacked herself in the face, _Your breasts? These are obviously MINE. _

_Ow! That hurt. That wasn't a very sane thing to do, considering I just smacked myself. Anyway. Now there's something that this perfect (crazy) woman wants… no, NEEDS. And if I don't satisfy this need I'm going to go bananas, throw a tantrum, and blow up this shopping mall._

Para quickly slipped out of the remaining garments and into her own clothing before leaving the dressing room. She handed the corset to Madame Isadora who placed it in a bag and handed it back to her.

"Mr. Briefs paid for it," she said smiling.

"How thoughtful of him," said Para.

"He just added it to his sister's bill. You should really be thanking Miss Briefs."

Para scowled in a rather terrifying manner, "Wonderful! Who needs enemies when you have FAMILY."

She marched out of the store, leaving the shop owner very confused. She walked directly to the ice cream shop and slammed her hands down on the countertop, speaking very slowly to the shopkeeper.

"One. Of. Each. Please."

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I find the idea of Trunks and Pan getting a "first first kiss" and then a "second first kiss" somehow really romantic. It's like soul-mates meeting in a different lifetime and having glimpses of their previous lives when they kiss. I'm nuts, I know.

I have a small issue. I have a perfect idea for fitting Marron into this story, but originally I didn't intend to include her at all. I'm a little bit afraid that if I include Marron this fic will become too epic, and I'll have another Loud Silence on my hands which will take me forever to finish.

But the next chapter is SCREAMING at me to include Marron, and I'm kind of excited about the take on her character which I want to do for this story. She could add a lot of humour… I don't know. I just watched _Legally Blonde_ and I'm feeling partial towards Marron.

Should I focus only on the T/P, G/B, or bring in the blondie?


	7. The Twisted Path

_Chapter Seven: The Twisted Path_

Sorry for the delay in getting this out! This chapter is a little less action-packed but I needed it to move the plot along and set up future chapters. I love how you all reacted to Videl going super-bitch last chapter!

I uploaded a picture as my avatar of what I think Para might look like in some training gear. It's a crappy representation, but I can't draw for beans… so I took an image I found and played with the colours and it's the best I've got.

Thanks to everyone for your feedback and the advice! I am so impressed with you all for taking the time to give me really thorough and helpful responses.

**jazzyfizzler**: As always your review made me deliriously happy! I especially appreciated the comments on little phrases like when Trunks asks Para if Pan is in there because she doesn't like shopping. It really helps me to know that the impact I was trying to deliver worked! I am sooo terrible about writing humour, so I really need the feedback on parts like that. XD Most of all though, I love how you are so passionately loving Trunks and hating Goten in your review... when like the previous chapter it was the opposite. I laughed so hard when I read your "GOTEN. IS. A. BITCH." I'm so worried that this chapter won't be able to live up to the last few. =( Oh, and about my other story which you reviewed... you kind of figured out part of my master plan, lol, and you were totally right. You saw through my trying to pin the focus on Goten and Bra! But shhhh, don't tell anyone! *looks around nervously* I just had to mention it here because when I read your review I was like "DAMN, BUSTED!" XD

**SpicyShani**: Hehe, I find it interesting what you said about me switching the roles of Goten and Trunks. It's true, Goten is usually portrayed so innocently in fics, but that's probably because of the way he and Trunks are as kids. In GT Goten is SUCH a ladies' man while Trunks is more serious and (in my opinion) focusing on the needs of Pan and his family. It kind of pisses me off actually, in GT how Goten is on the phone with women while his family is in the room. So I guess my anger toward Goten is coming through here a bit too much and I should stop it and try to focus on my love for him if I want to save his character. This is going to be hard, lol. THANKS for mentioning Videl's comparison of Trunks to HERCULE! Because when I wrote that I was having a giggle-fit thinking how mean and low it was, and no one mentioned it except you, so thank you! Hehe. You're incredibly awesome!

**Ken Trunks:** I am thrilled that you liked the scene in space! I am so thankful for your continuous feedback and support in this story. You're so kind! I downplayed Marron's role a bit from what I originally intended.

**Leecassi:** Thank you so much for the sweet reviews! I'm glad that the story is able to make you laugh. I feel so cheerful each time I receive a review from you, so thank you for following my stories! Many hugs!

**CruelVidel**: Wow! I simply can't believe that you said you wanted a happy ending! Thank you so much for your detailed and sensitive feedback, and it really means a lot to me to know where your sympathies lie in the story. I think I might have gone too far and done overkill on saving Trunks because it's far too soon for things to be patched up. I really loved what you wrote about Pan's character being honest... personally I thought that the Pan I portrayed here didn't come across as such a moral character, especially with her violent temper. It makes me happy to see that you think she does! I hope you enjoy where I take the story from here. =)

**famoso:** Thank you so much for your review! I loved your reaction to the Videl scene, because that's exactly how I felt about it. I wanted to make Videl the tough parent here instead of Gohan for a change. I'm also glad that Goten is picking up points with you! It's strange because others seem angry with him for what he said to Trunks, but I feel like Goten is finally showing a bit of backbone.

**wiggles17**: I am so pleasantly surprised to receive a review from you! I find your writing so mature and interesting, but I've always wondered if you read much T/P fanfiction because I'd never really seen your reviews around. Anyway, I am so glad you gave my story a chance and I really appreciate your feedback! Glad you warmed up to the odd situation with the couples. =)

**Phantasom:** Thanks for your advice on using Marron! I am so glad you enjoyed the chapter and first kiss scene.

**hot4dbz:** Thanks for mentioning the change in Para's character! You're right, she is getting soft and I need to make her more badass. I really appreciate your review!

**The0Blind0Writer**: Thanks for your advice! I am so glad you're enjoying the storyline and your feedback is really wonderful. =D

**Suzki**: SO GLAD you liked Videl! I'm so sorry that Para and Trunks didn't go all the way. I originally intended for them to "do it" but I also intended for Goten and Para to "do it" underwater, lol. It's just that when I write it, things get a little bit out of hand and the story tends to take its own direction. You're probably going to hate me since Para doesn't make it into this chapter, but I promise future chapters will soon be Para-packed.

**Agusds:** Haha! Your review made me laugh. I'm happy you think something happened in space between them too! It's only natural! Glad you enjoyed the first kiss scene. You are so sweet!

**Hanako:** Thank you so much for reading and reviewing once more! It is really so thoughtful of you to leave me such nice feedback. The least I can do is respond to your wonderful sweet reviews! I hope you enjoy the following chapter! =)

**Elyseexp:** Thank you. =) So happy you liked it!

**Seichou:** Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm really glad you're enjoying the story.

**Indy2009:** Glad you like the long chapters! I was worried they were too long, lol. Hope you enjoy this one.

**dolce-bebe:** I am sooooo delighted that you actually think my characters are close to the way they should be! I try really hard to keep them in character, especially Pan (she's the most complex from my perspective) and Trunks really challenging too. It's difficult to keep them in character through situations which are so strange and would probably never happen though! Well, I hope like where I take the story. =)

**Talk smith kid:** Hmm, I found it interesting what you said about the clocks being violated and how I couldn't leave it that way. I tried to incorporate a bit more background info on their relationship just for you. I don't want to get too much into history and distract from the story at hand, but at the same time I want the reader to be aware of the history. It's hard to balance it, but I don't want it to be so much a T/P get-together story as a T/P have-been-together-and-are-now-falling-apart story. :D Appreciate your feedback as always!

**mali86:** Thank you for your feedback and suggestion. :D

I am not as confident about this chapter as I was about the last. Nevertheless, here we go. Happy late Valentine's Day!

~PanHopeNvs~

* * *

"Maybe I should let him find me."

"If you stick more than your FINGERS out of this car to grab food from the drive-through take-out window, I will destroy you."

"At least I should answer the phone."

"Give yourself some time to cool down. You're being overemotional and you're too likely to make the wrong decision right now."

Pan nodded and sunk back down into the soft leather. She pulled a family-sized bucket of chicken wings into her lap and ate a few slowly. She stared down at her cell phone which sat beside Bra's, both of them almost constantly vibrating. She sighed, leaning against the window.

"Lounging in the back seat sure brings back memories of high school, doesn't it?"

"No. What exactly are you talking about? I seem to be finding out about a lot of new memories of yours that I wasn't aware of!"

Pan's eyes took on a secretive glaze, "Can you blame me? You had the biggest mouth back then. People hung around you instead of turning on the radio!"

"Pan! Spill the beans. We're going to be stuck hiding in this car for hours, so you might as well entertain me with your teenage shenanigans," demanded Bra as she finished her third organic sandwich within ten minutes and wiped her hands with a napkin.

Pan glanced to the left through the deeply tinted windows of the discreet car, her eyes following the ki signal she was keeping track of, "Well, Trunks occasionally used to pick me up from class in the last year of high school. To give me rides home."

"That's useless. You flew pretty fast back then. So what did you two _really_ do?"

"Sometimes we'd stop in a park and… cuddle in the backseat. Nothing too scandalous. I don't know why, but after that kiss, it all just comes rushing back to me. Everything is reminding me of him again… I can't bear to look at you because you have his eyes, or the tinted windows, and even this damned chicken wing."

Bra nodded with a smile, "I have the same problem with looking at you. Maybe you could wear contact lenses or dye your hair or something?"

Pan ignored the question as her eyes darted to the west, "Can you feel him flying around searching for me? He just left your house and now he's heading for a mountainous area where I like to train. Maybe I should teleport to him… speak to him."

"Wait, Pan, wait. Don't forget. He cheated on you. How can you forget so easily? You hated him and we were supposed to take revenge!"

Pan was quiet for a moment, "He was thinking something about extortion. He might have been blackmailed. What if…"

"You and I both know that Capsule Corp. has the best lawyers in the world. People in positions of power are constantly threatened. Come on! How many times have people tried to kidnap _me_? Trunks has been running the company for long enough to know how to deal with situations like that."

"We don't even know what the situation was! Because I was a shitty girlfriend, and I didn't let him explain it to me. I just flew off the handle and went ballistic. I gave him life-threatening injuries and more problems to deal with when he probably needed me for support."

"Don't you dare think like this." Bra pried the bucket of chicken wings away from Pan because she was squeezing it tightly and crushing it. Bra took her friend's hands in her own and looked at her resolutely.

"There is no good reason for someone to cheat. No excusable reason. You've been avoiding him since you discovered his duplicity because Trunks is a charmer. He'll say the right thing, he'll touch you in the right way, and poof! All is forgiven and you fall right back into his arms. Then one day another busty redhead walks into his office intending to blackmail him by revealing one of the fifty apocalyptic mistakes he makes in an average day, and instead of calling a lawyer he unzips his pants."

The visuals came back with full force and sapped Pan's strength. She laid her head down onto Bra's lap, curling her legs up onto the leather seat. She closed her eyes.

"Now that I think about it, his pants were on," she said softly, "It was just oral…"

"Spare me the details! Jeez. Now you're finding DEGREES of cheating? Because if you'd showed up a few minutes later his pants wouldn't have been off? And if you hadn't shown up at all, if you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, it wouldn't have existed? Please, Pan. You're not that stupid."

"I am. I must be stupid. Because when I looked inside his mind and saw and felt those thoughts…" Pan couldn't continue. She couldn't say it out loud because it was too painful and shameful to hear, and Bra would surely snap her head off.

Yet she thought the words quietly to herself, _I forgave him._

"Panny, that's not like you," whispered Bra, stroking her hair gently, "You told me you could never forgive this. You said…"

"I didn't mean to let you hear that thought," Pan said with alarm.

"But you…" Bra gasped, "Oh! That's the first time it worked when we weren't fused! I'm becoming a telepath!"

"That's great!" Pan said before sighing, _Simply great. Now she can hear me thinking that I love him when I'm pretending to be angry and hate him._

"I heard that," said Bra softly, "You know, it's always hard to avoid getting back together with your ex. It's comforting to have that familiar embrace and voice, that person who knows you so well. It's habit and addiction."

Pan nodded against Bra's lap.

"It's especially hard when he's suddenly decided to chase you all over the world and do everything in his power to get you back. When he's the only person who can understand your heritage who isn't family. When he's…"

"Trunks."

Bra frowned at her tone of friend's voice. She sounded… defeated. A feeling which resonated in Bra's consciousness.

"Pan, I want you to be angry with him."

_I'm trying. I spent this last month telling myself it was over for good. Now look at me! He was thinking that I could say it's "over" a thousand times and he wouldn't care. Oh, Dende, why can't I just go to him and pretend the past month never happened?_

Bra slammed her head back against the headrest repeatedly until it broke. "Don't you think I'm right there with you? But it's_ wrong_. We have to be stronger than this. Don't forgive him just because of a few thoughts you took a sneak peek at in his brain. What would you say if I told you I wanted to go see Goten?"

"I'd forbid it," said Pan instantly, "I'd say let him come to you first. But that's just it… Trunks is trying to come to me. If Goten came to you and apologized I wouldn't have any problem with…"

"Goten didn't cheat on me."

"True... but he hurt you all the same, and now he's throwing himself at other women."

The girls sat in silence for a moment. It was a shameful, miserable silence.

"Para's not really other women," mumbled Bra.

"Aha! Degrees of cheating? Making excuses for him?" accused Pan. Bra made a face.

Bra glanced at the phones on the leather seats which were still vibrating. The sound caused by the vibrations filled up the emptiness until it was almost unbearable to ignore them.

"We need a distraction!" announced Bra cheerfully, "Can you drive us somewhere dark and private?"

"Sure," said Pan, raising an eyebrow. She got up and crawled over the backs of the front seats and into the driver's seat. She drove into a nearby underground parking garage and selected a parking spot in the darkest deepest corner.

"Perfect!" said Bra, "Now get back here."

"I hope you're not going to try to recreate my high school memories with Trunks," mused Pan as she climbed over the seats again.

"Nope. I have something much better in mind!" declared the saiyan princess. She pressed a button on a panel of the car door and a television popped down from the ceiling, "What could be more productive right now than watching a Disney movie? I say we need to watch _Cinderella_!"

Pan couldn't resist a small smile. The girls had watched that movie over and over when they were younger. They hadn't revisited it in far too long, "Good idea. The magic of Bibidi-Babidi-Buu will take away our troubles."

Bra un-capsulated a few tubs of chocolate ice cream and some blankets and the girls curled up in their respective corners of the back seat of the car while they watched the movie.

At one point, as Cinderella sang while cleaning the floors and bubbles rose all around, Bra pressed the "pause" button to voice a thought which came to her mind.

"You know, I don't really think that we can talk to each other in Para's mind. There's only one brain… it should be impossible really."

"I was wondering about that… maybe Para has a mental disorder," suggested Pan, "She's created two separate personalities she "calls" Pan and Bra and she talks to herself in her mind to help make decisions and to avoid being lonely. In other words, Para is acting out being each of us."

"That's hilarious. But it makes sense… so when the "Bra" in Para tells "Pan" to do something, it's really just Para playing games inside her own head? It's not me talking to you?"

"Possibly. Probably. It's confusing, but I guess it helps her stay sane. Plus, the only negative aspect of being Para is not having a best friend to talk to... or anyone who really knows who she is. I guess she made her own friends."

"Sane? That sounds like the definition of insane to me. So Para has something like multiple personality disorder... but how can it be a disorder if she really is two people?"

"Well, she is technically just one person," Pan reasoned, "She's just very self conscious about being _made_ from two people, and trying to make both halves happy all the time. We both have our own desires, but in Para they blend into one. Sometimes I forget I'm not myself when I'm her. I consciously think of the fact that I'm fused, and I constantly try to seek out other parts of myself that are not me… parts that might disagree with what I'm doing."

"I think we need to spend more time as Para," suggested Bra, "She needs more time to just BE herself and to feel normal and comfortable. I wish it were possible for us to stay fused all day. The time frame is so annoying."

"It wouldn't be so bad if we could fuse immediately again after we separate, but the hour wait period…"

"I've been trying to come up with an invention to extend the fusion time, Pan… but I don't know how to do it. It's not something I can exactly look up in the library, and your grandfather isn't around for me to ask him… not that he'd even be able to help."

"Well, there's only one way then. The Time Chamber. We can fuse all we like there, and we won't have to worry about concealing our ki so that no one can tell. No more drugs. Unless I need to sedate myself to lower my energy to match yours."

"Let's go as soon as possible… let's go immediately!"

"When Trunks goes to sleep… and after we finish the movie. We'll sneak away quietly."

Pan pressed the play button and the girls continued to watch _Cinderella_. At the scene where Cinderella saw the clock, told the Prince that she had to leave, and rushed out of the ball frantically, Bra picked up the remote and paused it. She was thinking how familiar it was. Having to run away before the magic ended.

"Cinderella did it."

"What?"

"She captured the Prince's heart in probably less than 30 minutes. She got to the ball pretty late, and she had to leave before her dress became rags and her coach became a pumpkin at midnight."

Pan smiled sadistically, "It took you and me all our lives to grow up and make memories with Trunks and Goten. All of those years of wasted love and devotion. Now, in a few measly half-an-hour sessions, Para is going to destroy all of that."

"It seems someone has gotten her balls back," said Bra smirking and pressing play again.

When the movie ended with happily ever after, both girls sighed and reached to turn it off at the same time. Bra ended up turning it off while Pan leaned back against the seats.

"Stupid fairytales," grumbled Bra, as she thought of Goten. She wondered where he was and what he was doing and concentrated to sense for his ki. She wasn't particularly good at sensing ki, but she could find a few of the people she knew best. Pan had taught her to feel her father's ki approaching so that she wouldn't be caught doing whatever inappropriate thing she'd been doing as a kid. Now as she felt for Goten's energy she found him at Capsule Corp., but a small distance away from Trunks and her father. Quietly resting in his room? Maybe in _her_ old room, she wondered? She pushed the silly thought away, but she couldn't help wondering why Goten's ki signature felt so very sad.

As she closed her eyes and concentrated on his ki she thought she could hear his voice in her mind:

_She'll be happier this way eventually. I know I did the right thing. _

Bra's eyebrows converged in a frown. Was it really him thinking that? Or her imagination running away with her. What was this, long-distance telepathy?

"Pan, do you think it's possible…" Bra looked over to see that Pan had curled up into a ball and fallen asleep in the corner of the car. Bra smiled, reaching over to pull the blanket up around her friend's shoulders, inwardly scoffing at how unnecessary the motion was. First of all, the car was warm, and secondly, even if it wasn't, Pan was saiyan and naturally could keep warmer much more easily than a human.

Nonetheless, it was a protective gesture. Bra always had found it comforting to feel a blanket around her as she slept, whether or not she really needed it. It was too bad that the person she had really needed protection from had usually been huddled close beside her, underneath the same blanket. The blanket hadn't protected her from him. She had kept her "enemies closer" without realizing it… and now as Para she kept him yet just as close. Bra let out a yawn as she watched Pan, and crossed her arms over her chest. She wouldn't fall asleep. She would keep the watch and protect her friend from any danger, just as if they were in the middle of a war. But there was no real physical danger—the car concealed both of their kis. Not to mention how far underground they were parked. It was the perfect little hiding spot from the world.

All their misdeeds could hide with them in this dark corner. For Pan and Bra were not gentle and sweet like Cinderella, thought Bra. Maybe once they had been. Now they were bad girls out to avenge their own ruined honour and broken hearts. Princes weren't as excellent as the girls had first imagined, and neither, anymore, were they themselves any better. Bra felt herself nodding off and she fought to stay awake.

Her last barely coherent thought before she drifted off to sleep was of Goten, and her mind clumsily formed a few lucid words:

_You're wrong. I only wanted you. _

* * *

"Agh! What is that!" growled Pan as she snapped awake with a start. Her cell phone had vibrated so much that it had crawled along the leather seat of the car, slowly, like scorpion poised to sting. Now it touched her ankle which caused her to leap in surprise and hit her head on the car roof as she was snapped out of her slumber.

Pan looked up at the roof which now had a small dent in it and cursed. Bra had awoken too from Pan's noise and ran the back of her hand over her eyes. Pan frowned down at her small rectangular attacker with infinite malice.

"It's not Trunks," she said suddenly, grasping it in surprise.

"Who is it?" asked Bra sceptically.

"The desperate housewife…"

"Why would _she_ be calling? Oh, wait! Don't answer. Trunks could be calling from her cell to trick you."

Pan quickly scanned for kis and shook her head, "No, it seems like Trunks gave up and went home. She's at her home which is in the other direction. I wonder what she needs? I should answer…"

"No way. It's probably a trap of some sort. Trunks is probably putting a tracer on the call. Maybe he's getting her to conference you."

"What if her kids are sick and she needs a doctor for them?"

"Then she can take them to the doctor!"

"Yes, but we're the Earth's Special Forces… it's our duty to look out for each other and I can be over there in seconds if she really needs me. No other doctor can do that. And if the kids have broken bones from training or something, I can set the bones quicker than any other doctor can…"

"I see that she's double-calling. Well, they are Uub's kids too. Just answer the phone. Damn your "Special Forces" conscience."

Pan picked up her cell phone and flipped it open, "Hi Marron."

"PAN!" came the shriek, "I just saw the news! Kami, I'm so sorry! I had no idea!"

"What?"

Pan moved the phone a few inches away from her ear so that the loud voice wouldn't damage her hearing.

"I just woke up to feed the baby and turned on the news and saw HER! Pan, you poor thing! Do you want to meet up and talk about it?"

Bra could hear Marron's voice too, and when Pan looked over at her with confusion, Bra flipped the television down from the car rooftop. (Luckily it hadn't been damaged by Pan's head.) Bra turned it on to a news channel and the girls saw a segment about Mr. Satan dating a young blonde woman.

"Marron, you called me at…" Pan glanced at the time and groaned, "_3 AM_ to tell me that my grandfather is with some woman? He's ALWAYS with women, dear Dende! I'm going back to sleep."

As Pan's moved toward the "End" button, Marron's voice could be heard screeching, "NO! Go to ZTV! Quick, ZTV!"

Pan exhaled loudly and rolled her eyes at Bra who made a funny face before compliantly switching the channel.

Then they saw her.

The saiyan girls stared at the television in dumbfounded shock. Bra gawked, her mouth moving a few times but emitting no sound.

"Sweet Kami," whispered Pan, "She's beautiful."

"I KNOW!" wailed Marron, "She's a definite 15 out of 10. Dende, Pan! I'm so sorry, sweetie!"

Bra and Pan stared at the TV for a few more moments. It was the first time that they had seen a picture of Para, the first time they'd seen recordings of her. They couldn't help admiring her flawless beauty as she glided through the mall on Trunks' arm with her unusual dress and magnificent hair and makeup accentuating the softness of her lips and hardness of her striking eyes.

"Whoa." Bra was finally able to whisper this as a picture flashed on screen of Para caught in a romantic embrace with Trunks as he whispered something in her ear and she smiled. Several more pictures of compromising, incriminating positions flashed across the screen.

"Panny! Please tell me you've left that cheating scum for good!" begged Marron from the other end of the line. "Just look at the way he's holding her! That shameless miscreant!"

Pan finally recovered and smiled, "Thank you for your concern, Mar. Yes, I left him. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"Do you need me to come over?" asked Marron.

"No, no. I'll be just fine! Bra is with me. Say hello to the babies for us both, and say hello to Uub too, OK?"

"OK, Pan, but are you sure…"

Pan flipped the phone closed and hooked it on her hip, "It feels like Trunks is asleep. Time to go pack for the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"

"Yes, let's go. Let's hurry. "

The girls exited the vehicle and capsulated it. Pan hooked her arm firmly around Bra's back and flew out of the parking garage at a high speed which she was sure couldn't be seen by the naked eye. Once they were safely in the night sky, Pan let go of Bra and they both flew back to Bra's house. On the way there Pan's cell phone rang again. She paused and cursed, checking the display.

"What NOW? It's the hospital," she groaned.

"Take the call," advised Bra.

"You fly on ahead. I'll catch up," said Pan, gesturing toward Bra's house, and flipping her phone open reluctantly, "Hello?"

"Dr. Son? This is Michael calling."

"Good morning, Dr. Winters. How may I help you?"

"I'm sorry to call at this hour, Dr. Son. Believe me I wouldn't if it weren't a life or death situation. We have a situation in neurosurgery. We just put a patient under…"

"Let me guess. You found another 'anomaly?'"

"Yes, Dr. Son."

"And you've already opened the skull?"

"Yes, Pan. I'm sorry…"

Pan sighed deeply and rubbed between her eyebrows, "This is happening too frequently, Dr. Winters. I keep telling everyone that they need to read the scans carefully before proceeding."

"Can you make it here, Pan? I know you've been injured, but if you could…"

"No, I can't. Have the surgeons improvise," said Pan coldly before hanging up. She immediately felt guilty for snapping at her co-worker, but she hated the incompetence of the people she worked with sometimes. Granted, it was a late hour and it was probably an emergency. All the doctors were probably tired... but the continuous efforts of Dr. Winters to get on a first-name basis with Pan and his incessant attempts at asking her out on dates did not make her want to agree to help the man.

Pan shot after Bra leaving a trail of ki behind her. She found that Bra was already in her house, in the living room, stuffing capsules into a bag. She had the television tuned to ZTV which she watched out of the corner of her eye as she packed.

"Bra, do you have…" Pan paused as she saw a picture of herself and Trunks flash across the screen, and felt suddenly sick to her stomach. It was a picture of them at the Capsule Corp. Charity Ball about a year ago. She remembered how happy they'd all been that day… The prattle of the announcers reached her ears:

"As we all know, Mr. Briefs has been in a relationship for over 5 years with Miss Pan Son. She is the granddaughter of Mr. Satan, our world champion. Many women around the globe have wondered what Mr. Briefs saw in the plain and well, rather HOMELY looking Pan Son. As seen in this picture here…"

Bra's eyes widened in horror.

"WHAT!" screamed Pan, "That's ME AT WORK! In _glasses_ and _scrubs_! With _no_ makeup! UNFAIR!"

"There is no resemblance whatsoever between Miss Son and the dazzling mystery woman…"

"NO RESEMBLANCE! NO RESEMBLANCE! She _is_ ME for Dende's sake!"

"Not my television, Pan! Shhh. It's for the best. You're like a superhero! Like Clark Kent! Glasses by day, gorgeous superhuman alien by night!"

Pan growled, but she lowered her hands which had instinctively risen.

"Like your dad! Like Tr... The Great saiyaman!"

Pan nodded and tried to calm down as the announcers continued.

"Although Miss Son was a remarkably skilled fighter in her youth, she has recently been absent from the world martial arts tournaments, and it is quite likely that she has stopped fighting altogether in recent years as she studied for the medical profession, and become rather soft."

"SOFT!" Pan repeated angrily, "SOFT!"

"Oh, dear," mumbled Bra.

"The mystery woman that has been seen with Trunks Briefs looks very buff in comparison to Miss Son, suggesting that the business mogul traded in for a stronger and more physically fit woman. It is too bad that the granddaughter of our world's hero has let herself go so badly, don't you think Jimmy?"

"I totally agree. Mr. Satan's heiress used to be a babe, but now she's just dried up. I think last week's leftovers in my fridge look more appealing!"

"I hear you, Jimmy. Who can blame Mr. Briefs for wanting to wake up beside someone who looks like a woman? I know I…"

The TV abruptly shattered with the energy that was emanating from Pan.

"Oh, shit, she's going to blow," muttered Bra, quickly running to Pan's side, and dragging her out of the house.

Bra struggled as she took to the air and lifted Pan with her off the shoreline. "Far away from my house, Panny, let's get far away from my house."

"Bra," whispered Pan, shaking, "Plug your ears."

Pan threw her arms up over her head and curled her spine backwards, letting out an ear-piercing scream. A stream of red energy shot out of her mouth and into the sky, exploding into several smaller beams as it left the atmosphere.

Even though Bra had plugged her ears, blood still ran down onto her fingers from the thunderous sound's raping of her eardrums.

People in the houses nearby for about a mile radius would have difficulty hearing for a few hours as well. Needless to say, Pan had woken up the neighbourhood at 3 AM.

"That's a really great…" Bra began, wiping the blood off her fingers. Since she couldn't hear her own voice she switched over to telepathy, _Impressive new attack. Just don't use it near the glass windows of my house anymore, please!_

_Thanks, _Pan thought as her shoulders heaved from releasing the energy build-up. _It's something I've been working on controlling, but I can't yet. It just happens when I'm really angry and I call it the "Banshee Blast"—I first was able to do it when I caught Trunks with that redhead. _

_Pan, don't let the news reporters get to you…_

_I think I'm going to go to work quickly and help out with that surgery. As soon as I return, I want to leave this dimension. Can you pack for us?_

_Sure. Mostly finished already. _

_Thanks, Bra. _Pan turned to fly away.

_You know, Pan. You could enter the World Martial Arts Tournament this year. If you really care about the world thinking you've "gone soft."_

_Only if he enters and I can publicly crush him._

* * *

Pan entered the hospital staff area and pulled her scrubs on quickly over her normal clothing, thinking how surprised she was that everyone was being so nice to her. At least four people had asked her about her health and well-being on her way to the staff area. It seemed that she had been missed while away and that people had been concerned about the "injuries" she'd sustained which her father had fabricated.

It was almost a welcoming feeling, Pan thought as she read the charts of the patient she was about to operate on. She walked briskly toward the neurosurgery wing of the hospital as she scanned through the files and the imaging from the scans.

She stopped abruptly when she saw someone blocking her path. She looked up and saw a nurse with a platinum blonde braid.

"Dr. Son, I brewed some fresh coffee for you," said the girl with a smile, handing Pan the mug, "Just the way you like it, black with no sugar. Welcome back!"

Pan glanced at the woman's face for a moment to judge whether she was sincere.

"Thank you, Cassidy," said Pan with a professional smile as she took the coffee and sipped it. It was actually good. Someone had done something considerate for her, and she felt very well received back at work. There really was a place for her here.

"Dr. Son, can I interest you in a newspaper?"

"Thanks, Cassidy, but I don't really have time to read it. I am needed in neurosurgery and I should probably finish reviewing the patient's charts."

The blonde nurse forcefully placed the newspaper in the crook of Pan's arm and gave her a sweet smile.

"Trust me, Dr. Son. It's a great read." The blonde woman winked before traipsing off.

Pan frowned at her retreating form and looked down at the paper.

In huge print, a headline jumped out at her:

_**Billionaire CEO of Capsule Corporation Cheats on Long Time Girlfriend**_

_Is the world's most eligible bachelor single again? Good news for women everywhere… after years of waiting for this moment, Trunks Briefs may finally be returning to his playboy ways. _

Pan didn't even notice that the ceramic cup she had been holding was now in pieces, and that she was standing in a pool of coffee. Her eyes skimmed the article even though she didn't really want to keep reading.

_What woman could replace Miss Son, the heir of our world champion? Miss Son is an accomplished doctor working at the hospital in…_

Pan saw that the article was continued inside the paper. How could anyone have so much to say on such a subject? She furiously flipped through the paper, completely forgetting that a patient was in neurosurgery, with his brain exposed, and in desperate need of her medical attention.

There it was. In full colour, a candid photo of Trunks holding Para and kissing her cheek.

…_a mysterious woman that no one has been able to identify. It is uncanny how much her body and features resemble Miss Son, suggesting that Mr. Briefs does indeed have a "type." Who is this gorgeous goddess with hair that falls down to her knees? No one knows._

Pan studied the picture and fought back the urge to have a temper tantrum right there in the middle of the hospital. _So now there's a resemblance between us? Make up your minds people! _Pan calmed herself to avoid the paroxysm, for she knew the precision which so many doctors were taking right now in their surgeries and didn't want to cause a small earthquake.

"Pan?" asked a familiar voice. She looked up and saw Dr. Winters standing rather close. He'd obviously noticed the picture on the newspaper and the crushed coffee cup in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Winters…"

"It's alright… Pan-chan. If you aren't in any condition to go into the operating room right now, I understand. We all know what has happened with Mr. Briefs…"

_Oh! So THAT'S why they've all been so nice to me. Did he just call me Pan-chan? _Pan felt a twitch of rage as her fellow doctor placed a hand "comfortingly" on her back. _He had better be careful, I'm THIS close. _

"I'm fine. What's the situation Dr. Winters?"

"Please call me Michael," said the other doctor, gently prying the pieces of ceramic away from Pan's fingers. Pan frowned at his behaviour and slapped the newspaper into his hands, briskly walking away.

She just wanted to do this surgery and get out of the hospital. She didn't know if she could last another _minute_ in this dimension, with _these_ people.

* * *

Dende stood with his back turned to the two saiyan women clad in saiyan armor. His hands rested loosely at the sides of his robes as he stood in silence for a moment.

"After watching the activity on Earth, I've had to reconsider my decision to allow you girls to use the Time Chamber."

"What!? But Dende..."

"As you know, the Time Chamber is a dangerous portal to another dimension… it is a world created by the magic of ancient guardians, and it is to be used only in times of dire need to strengthen the Earth's Special Forces to defend against wrongdoers and threats to the peace."

"I'm aware of this Dende, but…"

"I'm very disappointed in you girls. You've been using your time, energy, and knowledge to scheme against two of our strongest heroes. I thought that you were both knew better than this, that you both had seen enough suffering to not to wish anguish upon others! Especially upon those you love, your own family members!"

Pan and Bra looked at each other helplessly, ashamed and belittled before the planet's guardian. Bra dropped the heavy duffle bag she carried which was full of capsules and sighed. She had really been looking forward to the escape.

"I'm sorry if our actions have offended you, Guardian."

Pan nervously adjusted the strap of her own luggage which was suspended from her shoulder. She looked off the edge of the lookout down at the Earth through the gaps in the clouds. She really didn't want to go back to her daily life down there. No vacation could be as thorough as the Time Chamber and they had probably ruined their chances of using it, "I'm sorry too, Dende. If you wish for us to stop fusing…"

"Nonsense!" said Dende, turning around with a smile, "It's very entertaining to watch."

Pan and Bra glanced at each other in surprise and embarrassment, "Dende, will you tell…"

"Of course not. It's not like they don't deserve it. You should have seen the trouble those two used to cause when they were kids! Gosh."

Dende laughed, "After my careful reconsideration I've decided that I _will_ allow you to continue with your plans to use the Room of Spirit and Time. I'm also very proud of you girls for finding the motivation in your emotions to push yourself to train harder."

Pan exhaled in relief, "Thank you, Dende! You won't regret this; we'll train very hard and become much stronger."

"I'm sure you will. I just have a few pieces of advice before you continue. Regarding fusion… not much is known about the process and its long term effects, but from what I can discern fusion creates strong changes in the patterns of thought of the individuals using the technique. The constant switching back and forth from one identity to another might create a form of insanity. It will most certainly change who you both are."

Dende's voice took on a serious tone of warning, "If you girls practice constant fusion for a year in the Chamber, you will emerge with your souls changed permanently. There's a little bit of Gotenks in both Trunks and Goten at all times. Already, there's a little bit of Para in both of you at all times."

"We know, Dende," said Bra with a smile.

"You know?"

"It's like being in a relationship," explained Bra, "You become what you spend time with most. Husbands and wives, even roommates pick up each other's habits because they live in such close proximity. Of course it's intensified when you're spending time in the same body. We didn't need to be Gods to figure that much out."

"Ah, yes. I see you girls are very sharp," said Dende as he looked at them both with concern, "But are you truly ready for how much using fusion in the Time Chamber will change you? You won't be the same girls when you leave that room."

Bra and Pan shared a mischievous glance with each other and then walked forward simultaneously and each kissed Dende on the cheek. He blushed purple in surprise.

"Dende," said Pan, "Even if we didn't practice fusion in there we'd still be different people upon our exit. A year of intense training in that room isn't easy, as far as I've heard from my family and friends. The whole point of the experience is to emerge an improved person."

"Yes, this is true. It is very challenging to survive in such maddening conditions, but I'm confident you are both mentally capable of it, just as your fathers were so many years ago," Dende scratched his head, "May I just make one suggestion?"

"Of course," said Bra, cheerfully having picked up her duffle bag again.

"Well, this is with regards to your efforts to exact revenge upon Trunks and Goten. I think you have a very strong and very interesting plan, but I would like to suggest that instead of only trying to use Para to create and destroy a love which will hurt them both… well, use Para to destroy a strong love that already exists in their lives. Target the strongest, deepest love in both of their hearts. The love that they both have depended on practically since birth."

A frown transformed Pan's features as she listened and wondered what the Guardian meant.

"Take away the love of the first person they each cared for who didn't belong to their family. _Each other_. If you can drive a wedge _between_ Trunks and Goten their suffering will be extraordinary. You two have found strength in each other during this difficult time. Similarly, those two have always found strength in each other and their friendship. If you can make them angry with each other, then you will be literally ripping apart the fabric of their beings. You will be causing pain not only to both men, but to the part of Gotenks which still lives in both of them, and depends on their love for each other."

There was a brief silences as the girls processed the words. Bra finally spoke, "That almost sounds too harsh, Dende. We wanted to harm them, but… why are you telling us this?"

"Yes, it's strange," added Pan, "You just said that you were disappointed that we wished to cause suffering, and now you are helping us, giving us ideas on how to do it? Why?"

"It's hard for me to explain why. You girls have been forced to walk down a twisted path. It might have been easier to walk the direct path, but nevertheless... all paths end up in the same destination. I can foresee that any damage caused by your scheming will eventually reverse itself and perhaps lead to a brighter future, one filled with more understanding and wisdom on both of your parts, more happiness, and certainly more strength. Even Trunks and Goten will be the better for what they learn from all this. Learning cannot happen without pain."

He smiled and added, "You're both good girls. You wouldn't have wished to cause harm unless you had been harmed. It's a natural human reaction. And through the suffering comes insight. It will all work out to be alright in the end. Sometimes the twisted path is the better choice."

Pan dove forward and hugged the guardian tightly, "You're the best, Dende. Thanks for everything! Can we go to the Time Chamber now?"

"Yes, after you both say goodbye to your parents."

"But…"

The girls looked at each other anxiously. They had really wanted to leave quietly.

"No buts. Gohan would kill me if I didn't tell him his little girl was about to leave the dimension. And you both will be thanking me after a few months of solitude in oblivion, for making sure you got to hug your parents one last time before entering that place. I'll call them for you."

* * *

"Are you ready yet, woman? Let's go!"

"Vegeta… wait! Let me just tell the boys, they might want to come. Can you tell Trunks? I can't find Goten. He did stay over last night, didn't he?

"Hmph." Vegeta turned and walked away.

"Some help you are! If I could sense ki I wouldn't even need to talk to you, ever," Bulma mumbled to herself as she walked down the corridor, knocking on the guest suite doors before poking her head in, "I wish he knew what it was like to _not_ have herculean extraterrestrial powers, then he'd be a little more understanding."

Bulma stopped after checking about ten rooms and placed her hands on her hips, "Now where could that boy be?"

On a whim she went to her daughter's room and cracked it open, "Goten, dear, are you in here?"

Bulma was surprised to see the dark-haired figure sprawled on the bed, holding a small rectangular object in his hand. Bulma frowned and approached the bed quietly. She pried the object from his fingers, and saw that it was a framed photograph. The glass was now cracked since Goten had held it too tightly in his sleep.

In the photograph, Bra and Goten were formally dressed and dancing together at the Capsule Corp. Charity Ball. They were both laughing and they looked as though they were having a wonderful time. Bulma knew the picture wasn't from the previous year from the style of Bra's dress. It must have been from several years ago, perhaps from the first ball they'd attended as a couple. Bulma couldn't help smiling sadly to herself as she placed the damaged frame back on Bra's beside table.

"Goten, dear," she said again gently, "Wake up."

He stirred, but did not wake until she gave his shoulder a hard poke.

"Bra?" he mumbled without opening his eyes.

"No, dear. It's me."

Goten then opened his eyes and jumped about three feet into the air as he looked at his surroundings in surprise.

"I'm sorry, Bulma, I…"

"Goten, the girls are about to enter the Time Chamber. Vegeta and I are going to go say goodbye to them, and you're welcome to come along."

"The girls? Pan and… Bra? But she's not strong enough to train in that room!"

"She'll be fine," said Vegeta, stalking into the room with a groggy Trunks in his wake. Trunks made eye contact with Goten and both men frowned.

"Why are they leaving at _5 AM_?" asked Goten when he saw the time on Bra's clock radio.

"Isn't it obvious?" muttered Trunks, "They were trying to avoid us."

Vegeta slipped his arm around Bulma's waist and lifted her against him.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Pan, are you sure you want to go, sweetie?"

"Mama, I _need_ to go," she responded, hugging her mother tightly.

Videl rubbed her daughter's back, "Be careful. Don't push yourself too hard, OK?"

Pan nodded and looked at her father. Gohan didn't say anything, but he held out his arms to her. She smiled and let her father envelop her in a giant bear hug.

She could feel the unconditional love in his embrace. He didn't question her decision or try to change her mind. He respected her choice and supported her, and that was what she most desperately needed. She rested her cheek against his chest in contentment, thankful that Dende had called her parents and not just let her escape quietly in the night. It made her little quest feel more official and more sanctioned.

It was in the middle of this father-daughter moment that Vegeta and Bulma arrived. A few seconds later, Trunks and Goten landed on the lookout behind them, and Pan tensed up, glancing worriedly at Bra. Gohan's arms tightened around his daughter protectively when he felt her unease.

There was an awkward moment as the four younger demi-saiyans glanced at each other furtively. It was an oddly contrasting sight, for Trunks and Goten were still in pyjamas while Pan and Bra were clad in traditional saiyan armor.

Trunks tried to hold eye contact with Pan, but she looked away. This gave him a chance to let his eyes roam down over her body and to take in the way the navy blue saiyan armor clung to her every muscle and curve. He noticed the looks he received from her parents and he immediately fixed his gaze on the tiles of the Lookout floor. He bit his lip in discomfort with the situation.

The silence was broken by Bulma pulling away from her husband and rushing to her daughter.

"Darling!" cried Bulma, throwing her arms around Bra, "I packed a few treats for you. You'll find them all in this capsule."

Bulma winked and slipped a capsule into her daughter's hand, "Everything you could possibly need. Trust me. And some things you'll never need!"

"Thanks, mom," said Bra with a smile. Bra then noticed that her father had been staring down at her body and she dropped her duffle bag. She walked forward to give him a little modeling show of her saiyan armor.

Vegeta's eyes followed his daughter's motions with pride. He had never seen her wear the training gear before and his fatherly cup overflowed. He suddenly recalled the year he spent training in the time chamber with Mirai Trunks, and how he'd gotten to know his son as a young man when he was still just a toddler. Unbeknownst to him, a strange light came into his eyes.

"Do you like it, daddy?" asked Bra with a grin. She asked her father, but really as she spun around in the spandex she took a quick glimpse of Goten's face to see if he approved of the look, and was satisfied to see him all but drooling as he tactlessly stared at her in shock.

"It pleases me to see you're finally taking your training seriously," Vegeta responded, putting a hand on his daughter's shoulder. He glanced over at Pan and was surprised to see her wearing the ancestral battle-gear as well. She normally always trained in an orange or red gi, sometimes in jeans and a t-shirt. As Vegeta glanced at the contours of her body in the spandex he realized that he hadn't seen a female saiyan wear the armor since his youth. It was a formidable sight which he had long forgotten, and it swelled his heart to witness it again.

The saiyan planet had been destroyed, but the saiyan spirit was alive and well in these vivacious hybrids. Of course, one could not have discovered his nostalgia from glancing at his stoic face as he made eye contact with Pan. He inclined his head to the left.

"Girl. A word."

Vegeta instantly blasted off into the sky a few miles away from everyone. Pan pulled away from Gohan and quickly followed him. The two left all the others to another awkward silence and Bra wondered to herself what her father and friend were discussing as she looked after their trails of ki. She hoped it wouldn't result in a more challenging training regimen. She knew it almost certainly would.

"Why are you going?"

Bra turned to person who had spoken these words. She felt a pang in her heart as she started at Goten's handsome face, his messy just-out-of-bed hair, and of course his red plaid pyjamas. She knew that she couldn't gaze wordlessly forever with their families watching. She titled her chin up a little before responding as curtly and succinctly as possible.

"To train."

Goten's arm drifted up as his fingers settled against the back of his neck to scratch absently as confusion displayed across his face.

"But you can train here," he said.

Bra glared at him. Everyone around could feel the tension in the air as the two silently locked eyes. Bra didn't want to speak, and silently prayed for Pan to return and remove her from the spotlight. Unfortunately, Pan would not return before Goten opened his mouth again:

"You're not strong enough to deal with the conditions in there, Bra. You shouldn't go."

Everyone was surprised when they felt Bra's ki spike markedly as she furrowed her brows, "Don't you dare try to tell me what to do."

Vegeta and Pan returned instantly at the signals they felt and stood beside Bra. Vegeta frowned, "What's going on?"

Bra crossed her arms over her chest, "He said I was too weak for the Time Chamber."

"I remember what it was like in there. I was several times stronger than you when I entered..."

"You were also seven years old, brother," reminded Gohan, "And from what Piccolo told me you two spent most of the time trying to find cool names for attacks and impressive things to say. The girls deserve their chance and I daresay they will make better use of the time."

"But..." interjected Goten.

"Bra is my daughter. She is a saiyan. She will be fine," spoke Vegeta.

Goten reluctantly nodded before a thought struck him and he looked at the girls, "When Trunks and I trained here we were practicing fusion. Maybe we could teach you two the dance?"

Pan and Bra's faces remained expressionless for a moment. Jolts of fear struck the girls at hearing even the word "fusion" spoken but they quickly recovered.

"No thanks," scoffed Bra convincingly, "We don't need _any_ help from you two at all. Plus I heard the dance is RIDICULOUS. I would never be caught _dead _doing stupid motions like that."

"It is mortifying," said Vegeta, "There were times I preferred dying to fusing with Kakkarot. But Goten is right, the technique is powerful and it might be beneficial for you both to learn it."

"It wouldn't work anyway," said Pan, waving her hand in dismissal, "I remember Grandpa Goku saying that the two people fusing needed to have similar power levels. I'm _way _too powerful to fuse with Bra."

_Unless I take the right drugs_, she added mentally before putting on a superior grin, "Maybe I'll learn to fuse with one of you guys when I leave the Time Chamber. I hope you'll all help me test my power... tomorrow."

Pan picked up Bra's duffle bag, giving her friend the "crisis averted" smile.

"Good luck, girls," said Gohan, "I hope you both surpass your personal goals!"

"Thank you, papa," said Pan, giving her father and mother each one final kiss.

"Be safe, baby," said Bulma, smiling at Bra through teary eyes.

Vegeta nodded, adding, "Take care of my little girl, Pan."

"Daddy, I'm _older_ than she is. I'll take care of _her_, thank you very much!"

Vegeta surprised everyone by walking forward and giving his daughter a small hug and a kiss on the forehead, "You do that."

Bra smiled at her father adoringly.

Vegeta looked at Pan, "When you get out of there, you and I are going to have a real fight. I'm going to power up to Super Saiyan 4, and I won't hold back, you hear?"

Pan beamed, a gigantic Goku-smile, "I can't wait! I won't disappoint you, Vegeta."

The girls stepped away from their families and turned and headed for the gigantic wooden doors of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Mr. Popo and Dende stood near the doors, and began to open them.

"Wait, Pan!" said Trunks suddenly, speaking for the first time since he'd landed on the lookout, "May I speak with you before you go?"

The sound of his voice arrested her midstride. She had been trying her best to ignore his presence since he'd landed on the lookout. She had tried her best not to glance at him, not even to sense the emotions in his energy. Pan paused only for a moment before she continued heading for the door.

She couldn't turn around, she couldn't look at him. She knew she would be overcome with the need to hold him close just once before leaving for a year but she simply couldn't. If she put her arms around him, if she saw his smile... she wouldn't be able to let go. But she had to respond to his question.

She shook her head and said coldly, "No, we have to get started."

_Now I will tell you what I've done for you -  
50 thousand tears I've cried.  
Screaming, deceiving and bleeding for you -  
And you still won't hear me._

Mr. Popo swung the giant doors open and the girls looked inside the chamber curiously. Pan had taken a step inside when she heard a shout from behind her.

"Pan! Please wait..."

Trunks had ignored Videl and Gohan's looks, Goten's growl, and even a frown from his father as he walked forward with determination.

He grasped Pan's hand in both of his, "I can't stand the thought that you'll be in there for a whole year, focusing on your hate and anger toward me as you train. I can't bear the thought of you hating me any more than you already do."

Pan felt her heart racing as she stared down at his large hands grasping hers.

"I wanted to tell you in private but you wouldn't listen, and you avoided me... but you need to know the whole truth. Yes, I cheated on you. But it was because I was blackmailed."

_Don't want your hand this time—I'll save myself.  
Maybe I'll wake up for once  
Not tormented daily defeated by you  
Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom  
_

_I'm dying again._

All eyes were fixed unwaveringly on him. Except for Pan's eyes which stared at the floor of the lookout so that she wouldn't meet his gaze. Bra stared at her friend and sent her telepathic messages of encouragement.

_Be strong, Pan. Whatever he says, we're just going to walk away and close that door behind us, got it?_

"What are you talking about, Trunks?" asked Bulma, placing her hands on her hips.

"I screwed up and signed a contract without letting our lawyers look at it first. There was a clause in it that would have cost Capsule Corp. _billions_. I'm sorry, mom, I didn't want you to find out. The president of the other company involved in the deal was that redheaded women. Karina Allbright. I was in a rush and I had a lot on my mind that day and I made a huge error. She tricked me... she told me that if I did a small... favour for her she'd make it all disappear as if I hadn't signed the contract."

Bulma's mouth dropped open in surprise and she spat with distaste, "How could you, Trunks?"

Pan just stared quietly.

_I'm going under  
Drowning in you  
I'm falling forever  
I've got to break through  
_

She wanted to run into the time chamber and lock the door, but she feared it would look too immature to the gathered family members. She was forced to listen to him continue:

"I had to choose between betraying my mother and causing Capsule Corp. to lose massive amounts of money and shareholder loyalty... or betraying Pan. I freaked out. I made a rash decision and I really regret what I did. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me, Pan?"

_I forgive you, Trunks. But at the same time, I don't. I think part of me never will. But it's a small part compared to the part that wants to reach out and hold you right now. It's a small part compared to the part of me that loves you, and will never be able to stop loving you, regardless of what you do._

It might have been easier to simply voice her thoughts out loud, but instead she chose to respond with exaggerated anger, "So what you're trying to say is… you didn't cheat on me because you wanted another woman, it was because you were selling your body for billions of dollars? And that's slightly better?"

"You chose money over loyalty to my daughter, Trunks? And you expect her to forgive you? Panny's not a fool," advised Gohan, "We can all see that there is no legitimate reason for you to have done what you did."

Pan was thinking inside that if only her father knew how much of a fool she really was. If only her father knew that she did forgive him and that it killed her to not to tackle him and kiss him in front of everyone.

Videl frowned and spoke, "Yes. Valid excuses include the following: 'a magical wizard took control of my brain and body' or 'a biomechanical parasite has possessed me and the entire planet, turning us all into Tuffles' or 'I inhaled generous portions of Black Water Mist and was turned temporarily into an evil cannibal' and other such situations. You should have asked your father's advice; he always has a valid excuse."

Vegeta scowled at Videl who glared back.

Bulma was still in shock, "Trunks, I can't believe you would do something like that. Why didn't you call me to deal with it?"

"I was ashamed of my error, mom. The company is known for their cheating ways of doing business and I should have been more careful. It was Bexicon Limited."

"BEXICON! Trunks, I told you to read the fine print on that damned contract!" shrieked Bulma.

"In the end things worked out fine… we saved the billions from the error I made, but we did lose a few millions in lawyers' fees to cover up their CEO's murder and make it look like a laboratory accident…"

"Murder?" asked Pan slowly.

"Yes. You killed her."

_Blurring and stirring - the truth and the lies.  
So I don't know what's real and what's not  
Always confusing the thoughts in my head  
So I can't trust myself anymore_

"I… did? I didn't know," said Pan, "I was only aiming for you, Trunks. I guess she must have been really close to you since I generally have rather precise aim."

"Oh, how awful. How could you be so careless, Pan?" asked Videl, shaking her head sadly.

"It's unacceptable, Pan," said Gohan disapprovingly, "I thought we raised you better than that."

"He's right, girl. You can be such a damned fool," Vegeta crossed his arms and sneered, "You should have _at least_ tortured her first."

All eyes turned to glare at Vegeta.

"What?" he asked, scowling profoundly, "Personally, I would have pulled out several of her toenails and fingernails, followed by her teeth and hair, perhaps an eyeball or a lung, depending on my mood. Then I would have burned most of the flesh off her body with my ki…"

Bulma cleared her throat loudly, "Well, it's a good thing I would never cheat on you, Vegeta."

"It's too bad that your values and morals haven't rubbed off on our son. You were supposed to teach him things, you know."

"WHAT!? It's too bad that your values and morals HAVE rubbed off on Pan. Did you see her practically taking mental notes while you spoke about torture? Watch your mouth around these kids, Vegeta. My goodness."

Pan winced as Bulma almost read her thoughts—for as Vegeta had described the torture she had indeed automatically imagined doing all those things to the redheaded woman. She looked down at her feet.

"I'm sorry, papa… I'm sorry, mama. I don't know what came over me. I have always been careful with my abilities until recently... I simply wasn't in control of myself and my temper. I know there isn't any excuse for what I did."

"No, Pan. She was a slut who deserved to die," said Trunks, "I was the one who screwed up, and you had every right to react the way you did."

"See?! See Vegeta? This is the influence YOU have had on our son."

Trunks ignored his parents and closed the remaining distance between himself and Pan. He placed his fingers under her chin and lifted it so that her pained onyx eyes met his cloudy blue ones.

"I have something for you," he said softly, using his free hand to delve into the pockets of his blue pinstriped pyjamas. He withdrew a small velvet box and Pan's breath caught in her throat.

_I'm going under  
Drowning in you  
I'm falling forever  
I've got to break through_

Trunks withdrew his fingers from her chin and slid his hand down to grasp hers. He placed the velvet box in the palm of her hand and closed her fingers around it. Pan could hear her own heartbeat pounding loudly in her ears.

"This isn't ideal... I know I'm supposed to be down on one knee, and I'm supposed to ask you a question. I meant to do those things months ago when I bought this ring, and if I hadn't messed everything up I would have. The only thing I can reasonably ask you right now is this: Pan, will you forgive me?"

She stared at him in silence, her face expressionless. The only sign that she was listening was that her hand which was closed around the velvet box had begun to shake.

Trunks laughed nervously, "Maybe I should get down on both knees..."

"No," she whispered. She knew that if he did something like that, before their families, that she would break down in tears, and he would have his victory. It was hard enough not to embrace him and she placed the ring box back in his hand, using every ounce of her willpower, "No."

_So go on and scream  
Scream at me I'm so far away  
I won't be broken again  
I've got to breathe - I can't keep going under_

He looked down sadly, and snapped open the velvet box, revealing a massive brilliant-cut orange diamond that made Pan's eyes widen slightly. Even Bra who owned plenty of jewellery turned several shades paler when she saw the ring he had chosen. _Is that the Taiyou Diamond? The Sun Diamond? _It wasn't an ordinary jewel that could be bought in just any store—it was a famous historical gem which had belonged to an empress... Trunks had evidently had the ring custom-made.

Pan however, did not know this, and she reached out to touch the ring gingerly. The huge round-shaped orange stone was set in the middle of a row of smaller diamonds, including four medium-sized red rubies.

"Like the four-star Dragonball," said Pan softly.

Trunks smiled, pleased that she recognized the inspiration of the ring's design. He pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. She could only stare as he did this.

"Please keep this as a token of my love for you. I still hope that someday you can forgive me, whether it's in one year when you return or in five years or ten years. I hope that you'll come back to me. I still hope that you'll be my wife."

Pan looked up at Trunks, drowning in the sincerity in his gaze. The deep blue depths of his soul sucked her in as they always had, and held her sweetly imprisoned. She looked down at the ring and felt heat spread through her with the overwhelming emotions. Tears pricked the back of her eyes. She felt herself weakening, and she looked at the faces of her mother and father for strength. She saw their confused yet expectant looks. She looked then to the faces of Bulma and Goten. Everyone seemed torn between anger and hope and Pan felt herself frantically searching for a rope to catch at to keep afloat.

Unfortunately, his voice penetrated her resolve and filled her heart with longing.

"Don't you remember, Pan? Remember space. All our dreams. All our adventures. Don't end it all. I still hope we'll get a chance to go back to the stars for our honeymoon."

As he spoke a sad smile transformed his features and Pan bit her lip and waged a war against her brimming tear ducts.

I'm going under  
Drowning in you  
I'm falling forever  
I've got to break through

Trunks saw and felt her struggle with emotion and he moved closer to hug her, but she stepped back. Pan glanced at Dende whose face bore a soft unreadable expression. Her eyes then fell upon Bra.

Bra sent a thought toward her friend, _Look, if you want to abandon this Para thing and return to him, I'm fine with that. If you want to cancel the training I understand too. I know you love him. I don't think I could refuse him if I were in your shoes._

Pan looked at her friend intently. She searched her own feelings and tried to organize through euphoria, love, rage, and hurt. She remembered Dende's words regarding the twisted path. A flicker of mirth tickled skin into creases at the corner of her eyes and lips. _Hell no, Bra. We begun walking down the twisted path together, and I'm not taking any shortcuts. This doesn't feel right. Not here, not now, not like this. I want to continue walking the warped highway with you and find out where it leads. Let's walk it to the end. _

_That's my girl, _thought Bra with pleased relief. _I was worried I'd lost you._

_Never. _Finally, Pan looked at Vegeta. He held her glance, and strength poured into her from his eyes. She remembered the words he had spoken to her in private. Finally, she turned back to Trunks.

"Trunks," she said softly, "Thank you for the beautiful ring. I do love you, and I wish I could easily forgive you and wipe this all from my mind. But then I'd be lying to myself and I'd be a bigger fool than I already am," Pan took a deep shaking breath and took another step backwards into the Time Chamber.

"Pan, won't you think about it?" he whispered.

She closed her eyes tightly, unable to bear the pleading look on his face, "Of course I will. I need time."

Vegeta smirked, "Sure, Pan. Do it. Marry my son. We'll have a big expensive wedding. But once you get fat and pregnant he's going to go and fuck a dozen other women just like all earthling scum do."

Pan's eyes snapped open in horror at Vegeta's words. She knew Vegeta was just trying to push her buttons, and it was working. He knew exactly where to attack her.

Trunks, however, was not amused. He turned angrily and shouted, "FATHER! I am NOT like that! You know me!"

"I know that your decision-making originates from the organ dangling between your legs."

As soon as these words left Vegeta's mouth a sickening crack was heard and he was sent flying. Trunks had launched his knuckles into his father's face.

"Stop it, you two! Vegeta, have you been watching my soap operas again?" asked Bulma, shaking her head.

Vegeta growled and picked himself off the floor. Trunks advanced on him angrily, his ki rising, and his fists ready for more action.

"Stop it," said Pan quietly, "Stop it. Vegeta is right. Have you seen the news or the papers this morning?"

Trunks paused and turned to her in confusion for a moment before understanding dawned on him. _Medea_.

"Shit," Trunks cursed, "I can explain..."

"You always have an explanation, don't you brother?" asked Bra, moving after Pan into the Time Chamber and dropping her duffle bag, "Though I have to hand it to you. Nice strategy! Practically proposing to Pan as she's about to enter into another dimension for a year, a dimension which you know has very harsh conditions, conditions which are known to induce INSANITY. She would have to be insane to accept you!"

Bra continued, placing her hands on her hips, "Not to mention the fact that there are no men here, so you're expecting that when Pan leaves the Time Chamber after a year of harsh training and being man-starved she's going to run straight into your arms!"

Bra laughed, "Well it's not going to happen. For your information, I've invented some really satisfying _Saiyan Vibrators_, so don't think she'll have any need of you. Goodbye everyone. Dende, please shut these doors right now."

Dende and Mr. Popo compliantly swung the doors shut, separating a triumphant Bra and emotional Pan from their shocked and blushing family members.

As soon as the doors were closed, Pan collapsed to the floor, shaking. Her tears finally spilled over but she found herself laughing and sobbing at the same time, "Saiyan vibrators? What the hell?"

Bra sat down beside her grinning and rubbing her friend's arm, "Sorry, it was the best I could come up with at the moment."

"Bra, look at this thing," said Pan weakly, displaying her hand.

"I know," said Bra, shaking her head, "I know."

"Why did he to cheat? To be so weak and sell himself like that?" asked Pan, clutching her hand to her chest, "Why did it have to be like this? I wanted to marry him. Before this I would have been so proud to be his wife..."

"Maybe you still will be someday. My brother is no Prince Charming, but he's not such a terrible guy either. He has a lot of responsibilities and he sometimes buckles under pressure. I think I might have buckled a lot more than him if I were in his shoes. Think about it for a year, and when we leave, if you feel right about it, you can become my sister-in-law!"

"You'll have to talk me out of it," Pan suddenly smiled, "Did you really invent Saiyan Vibrators?"

"Well, no, but I have thought about it. I mainly said it to give Goten a mental image."

Pan laughed and bounced up into a standing position, "Let's start training! Should I take off the ring?"

"Definitely! Take that demonic piece of metal off your body right this instant, Pan Son."

"Oh, I simply can't," said Pan, staring at it with googly eyes.

"It could be damaged by the intensity of our training."

"Of your weakling training? Don't make me laugh."

Bra raised her eyebrows. There was a sudden change in Pan's voice as she turned her back on her friend and walked out into the blinding white area of the time chamber. Bra watched her nervously, knowing that Pan had flipped the switch and was in training mode. Bra stood up slowly, expecting the worst.

Pan placed her hands on her spandex-swathed hips and looked over her shoulder with a superior smirk.

"I can't believe what a pitiful excuse for a saiyan you are, Bra Briefs. With such an amazing father, you would think the daughter would have a backbone."

"Pan?"

"You know what? You don't deserve a saiyan man. Not even my pathetic uncle. You deserve a weak human with a credit card who can take you shopping."

"Pan, stop this right now!"

"Let's see, maybe Yamcha? Your mother's leftovers? No, even he's too powerful for you. Oh, I've got it! Yajirobe. An ideal match! You're both lazy cows, and in a few years you'll be as fat as he is from lack of exercise."

"YOU BITCH!" shouted Bra, clenching her fists and sprinting off the living area of the Time Chamber. As soon as her feet hit the luminous white floor of the training area, she fell flat on her face.

"Oh my god, Pan! I can't move!" Bra exclaimed as she tried to get up, but her limbs felt like lead, "Help me, please, Pan!"

Pan stared in shock. Her mouth dropped open. Was this a battle strategy? Making her friend feel sorry and try to help her before attacking?

"I'm not falling for that, Bra. Let's fight! Come on, no games."

"Pan, I'm serious. This gravity is insane."

Pan hadn't noticed and she tried jumping up and down a few times. "Uhh… I guess there's a bit more than average. But you have a gravity room in your backyard, this should be nothing!"

"I've never walked in there."

"Wow, seriously? Well, then… I guess I'm just going to stand here and insult you until you can get over here and punch me in the face for it."

"Pan! My dad told you to take care of me," complained Bra, wiping the tears from her eyes. It was painful even trying to stand.

"Exactly. When Vegeta tells you to 'take care' of someone, this is what he means. Did you think he meant I was supposed to put you to sit on my lap and spoon-feed you while reading children's stories?"

Pan approached the blue haired girl who lay sprawled on the floor, struggling to stand. She stood with her white saiyan boots inches away from her face, "Get up! Get up and prove to me you're a fucking saiyan woman."

Bra stared at the gold tips of Pan's boots, through eyes blurred with tears. _This is going to be a very long year._

* * *

So obviously when the girls are in the Time Chamber we can't have any sexy action. I'll try to provide SOME of that through flashbacks and memories (you guys seem to be enjoying my flashbacks more than the main storyline anyway, lol)—but I hope you love Pan and Bra enough to not mind watching them pump up the girl power and beat each other silly. At least for a little.

Sorry there was no Para in this chapter! Do you miss her? I promise that as the story progresses we will see a LOT more of her. Besides, Para would be a weakling unless Bra and Pan both get stronger. My Para has to be stronger, faster, smarter, and all-around HOTTER than Gotenks.

Also, I just realized why guys don't read fanfics… a guy who used to roleplay Trunks with me when I was younger just introduced me to the "Kamehasutra." And all I can say is… wow. Wow.


	8. The Diamond Within

_Chapter Eight: The Diamond Within_

First of all, a big thank you to **Anmylica**! She actually wrote a little piece for this story which I really enjoyed, and it inspired me so much that I decided to use some of her writing in the chapter. A few lines in the Goten/Trunks man-to-man serious-talk moment are written by Anmylica, and I hope you enjoy it. Goten and Trunks weren't going to have a discussion at all in this chapter if not for her suggestion, but I think it's very fitting, and I hope she likes how I incorporated it.

To those who asked. The Kamehasutra is a "dojin" or a manga-type thing which is the graphic equivalent of explicit rated fanfiction and... it's really dirty. I don't want to spoil it for you, but once you see it it will never leave your mind. Don't see it if you're young or have a weak heart!

Other people who motivate me to keep writing the story:

**jazzyfizzler**: You're scaring me! Don't hurt Goten, he's my friend. If you want to get to him you have to go through ME FIRST! Haha, but seriously you gave me a GREAT idea of what to do with that storyline. Thanks to your review I have developed in my mind a "Goten Trump Card" which I can pull out at any time in this story to make you instantly love him again! I'm not kidding! You may want to kill him now, but soon you will fall in love with him all over again. MUWHAHAHA!

**SpicyShani**: HAHA! Your review made me laugh, lol. Glad you know what I'm talking about with the Kamehasutra. Lol, but would you believe I actually liked it? The art was great and I really liked the whole thing about Goten's real parentage! LOL. Thanks for your feedback on the story! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**famoso**: I am so glad you enjoyed that chapter. I thought a lot about your remark on Pan having killed someone. I guess I really wanted to show how she lost it, and how much she is influenced by Vegeta training her. We have a lot of stories where Pan is Vegeta's student, and he considers her the "most saiyan" so I wanted to approach that from a slightly darker angle, while still trying to maintain our love for Pan as a good person. Thank you once more for your feedback! You are really helping me to write this. =D

**CruelVidel**: I think the insanity is the excuse for them possibly having sex. Haha! You're right, I don't want to make the girls seem infantile, but I do want them to get even. In a few interesting and fun ways! I hope I can pull it off. Thanks for your detailed response again!

**CherryTomatoProject**: Hey! What a lovely review! I am glad you like Bra being tough, but I'm trying to make it a realistic change for her. I love how many times you used the word LOVE in your review, and it made me feel very... LOVED! XD I hope that the chapters to come make you feel just as excited as the previous ones.

**dolce-bebe**: Yay! You drew a Para sketch! I can't wait to see it. I wish so badly I could see what Pan and Bra look like fused, haha. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chappy and thanks for reviewing!

**The0Blind0Writer:** You're very very smart to mention the Metamorans. =) They might play a role later. From what I see on the show, everyone who fuses goes somewhat insane while fused. So I figure... I might as well have fun with Para, because we forgive Gotenks and Gogeta for all the stupid things they do. No fusion ever really wins a battle, if you think about it! Because they all goof off so much, so they always un-fuse and let Goku do it. Bleh. Thanks for your input!

**Leecassi:** Yay! I am DELIGHTED that you like my naughty Vegeta. I like him too, I just want to spank him! Lol. Anywayyy, really, you're an editor? Cool! I've done some editing too, but only of fiction and essays. I'd love to read anything you've ever written. =D

**Hanako:** REALLY? You find it suspenseful! Sweet! I hadn't even realized it was suspenseful! That is such a huge compliment and makes me so cheery! Hehe. Hope you like this one!

**Elyseexp:** Don't worry, I love Trunks too! He won't be the bad guy forever. He's tooooo wonderful! Thank you for your sweet review! Glad you enjoyed Loud Silence.

**WingedKiller:** So glad you like it! I love your stories as well, you're A TRUE MASTER of the B/V I must say!

**mali86:** Nope, he didn't sleep with her! For some reason, I knew I couldn't forgive him if he'd slept with her, and I'd want Pan to actually kill him. Dead. But I think Pan can forgive oral + blackmail with only SOME revenge administered, and not total death, if that makes sense?

**Suzki:** I'm glad that you're happy to have answers about the story, but I hope that now there's less suspense and mystery you will still find it interesting! Thanks for the feedback again!

**Supersaiyan2479:** Thank you for your review!

**Talk smith kid:** I really thought about your review when writing the Pan/Bra friendship scenes in this chapter and the next. Thanks for the feedback, I'll try to work on the chemistry so it's not so creepy! Lol.

**shahi:** Thank you for your sweet review! I agree about GT. The teens should be a lot stronger and have their time to shine. I actually get so frustrated every time Pan has to get saved by Goku. Like HELLO! Let's have the next generation come into their power! Bra just follows everyone around, and Goten just cares about dates. GRR! Anyway, I'll have some hardcore action in here soon. =D

**FAN:** Oh, sure, I'll just abandon Loud Silence altogether and work on this. I only put about 10 years into that story and have 600 reviews on it! Hehe, well honestly I am too excited about this to work on that right now. I have to continue this, or fall over and die.

The song is Sarah Mchlachlan's "Time." Hope you like it!

~PanHopeNvs

* * *

_**Earth, 6 AM**_

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT, FATHER?" Trunks yelled as he powered up to Super Saiyan.

"I should ask you the same question! Are you STUPID boy? That was the most INAPPROPRIATE TIMING THINKABLE," Vegeta immediately powered up as well.

"Explain yourself," growled the younger man as electricity cackled in the air around him.

"That girl was heading off to TRAIN. You already gave her the greatest gift possible... her anger! Pure unadulterated rage, the likes of which I haven't seen since... since I last felt it myself decades ago. Pan has never felt so betrayed by someone she loved, and she was USING that rage as the PUSH to release her inner power! To increase her limits, to ascend!"

"So that's why you degraded my character in front of her? That's why you tried to hurt her more by rubbing her face in my mistake when I was trying to beg for her forgiveness? FOR THE SAKE OF HER DAMNED TRAINING?"

"Could there be any single more important reason?"

"Oh, let me think... what about my LIFE? Do you care at all about my LIFE?"

"I might care if you didn't already seem so intent on screwing it up," Vegeta clenched a fist and sparks of energy emanated from his hand in that single motion, "Quit being selfish and think about others occasionally. I was trying to reinforce Pan's anger so that she can get some quality training done in the Time Chamber."

"She doesn't NEED to train! These are times of peace!"

A muscle twitched in Vegeta's jaw and he reached out and grabbed Trunks by the neck, "What? Do you prefer for the youngest capable fighter among us to spend her time looking at bridal magazines and picking out a dress? _She'll_ be the one training all of our grandchildren and their children long after we're gone. I may be a saiyan, but I won't live forever. It's imperative that the legacy of what we have achieved is not lost, and Pan is the only one who is interested and dedicated enough to take charge. She's never given up on her training, regardless of how much she had to study or how busy she was. She cares. She cares about her strength, just like Kakkarot did."

Vegeta released his son's neck and powered down. Trunks stared at his father in shock as he stumbled back. Was Vegeta was always looking ahead, always planning for battles to come?

"She's even convinced Bra to train! I never thought _that_ was possible. This is a valuable experience for Pan in learning to train another person. It all depends on her whether Bra will reach Super Saiyan or not. All I wanted was for you to not interfere with their dedication and focus until they've finished."

_Videl was right. He really does have an excuse for everything_. _He was an ass, but his reasons are valid and now I feel guilty for being disrespectful._ Trunks powered down and let his hands hang loosely at his sides. He responded slowly, "I'm sorry, I didn't..."

Vegeta's face softened, "If you really care to know. She'll be yours in the end anyway, regardless of how much she tries to resist it."

"What do you mean, father?"

"She'll choose the strongest. I've always told her to, but even without my encouragement it's in her blood to do so. You're the strongest, unfortunately, so she'll end up with you. Simple."

"No, father. That's not the way things work here on Earth. I can't get away with murder like you, I was born and raised here and I have to answer to certain rules..."

"Rubbish. It's the way the things work here and anywhere. Kakkarot married Chi Chi. She was the strongest woman on the planet at that time. Gohan married Videl, who was undeniably the strongest woman on the planet at that time. And Pan will choose you. Poor girl."

"But you chose me, Vegeta," interrupted Bulma.

"They chose the strongest, but I chose the most powerful woman," he said, looking at her with a low growl.

That tone of voice coming from him and that animalistic guttural sound still had the power to reduce her to a giggling schoolgirl inside. On the outside, however, she merely gave him a small private smile.

Vegeta continued, "I am quite positive that it is not just the saiyan blood which makes the Son line formidable. It's their ability to choose the most physically powerful mates. I was the Prince of Saiyans because my family had a knack for marrying into very high nobility. Combining the richest and most politically powerful families. That is probably why Kakkarot was slightly stronger than I was. That is certainly why Trunks is a weakling compared to Gohan..."

"Hey!"

"Well, it's true. And most of all, that is why Pan is so powerful in comparison to Bra even though Pan's genetics may be less saiyan. So all of this suggests that Pan's body is programmed to find the strongest mate possible. It's inevitable: she's a Son. "

"And what about me?" asked Goten quietly, "Can you read my tarot cards too, Vegeta?"

Vegeta glanced at him with disapproval, "Sorry, you're the exception. The pattern doesn't work with retards."

"That's not very nice."

"I just told you the formula and you should have your answer. It's simple. Do I have to spell it out for you, retard?"

Goten's eyes flashed angrily but he maintained his composure.

Vegeta continued his casual prophesising to the general audience, "At the conclusion of this saga Trunks will get back together with Pan and of course, Goten will get back together with Bra. Poor girls. They'll have lots of sex and produce offspring. End of story. Why bother continue reading? Flip the damned book closed and go watch television."

"No," Videl spoke, marching forward and shoving her finger in Vegeta's face, "I disagree. You seem to be forgetting one very important element in this chronicle. My daughter has dignity and pride."

Videl smirked at the man, "I should be thanking you, Vegeta. You're the one who instilled that hot-headed arrogance in her. Care for my prediction? Pan leaves the Time Chamber and goes back to hiding away from us all in order to avoid Trunks. Bra continues hiding from Goten along with her. They find ways to suppress and lower their kis to almost untraceable amounts as they have been doing lately, and live under the radar."

Videl strolled to the edge of the lookout as she continued speaking, "Someday, Pan will meet a nice human boy who may not be the strongest available man on the planet, but he'll have a good kind heart, and he'll adore and admire her for the amazing girl she is."

"He'll be brave, compassionate, and just. He'll be a gentleman. He'll have phenomenal strength of character," Videl turned to Gohan with a broad smile, "He'll remind her of her own wonderful father, and she'll feel safe with him. She'll bring him home to meet us and she'll marry him. And _that's_ how the story will end, Vegeta."

With that, Videl laughed and dove off the lookout with a small burst of ki.

"I like her adaptation better," said Gohan with a glance at Trunks before smiling and flying after his wife.

"Idiots," muttered Vegeta, "This is Pan we're talking about. Since when has she wanted to feel _safe_? She is a saiyan who lives for the thrill of battle."

"Physical safety is one thing," said Bulma softly, "Emotional safety is another."

Trunks, in the meanwhile, was not pleased.

"Father," he asked through gritted teeth, "What did you tell Pan when you spoke to her alone?"

"That's confidential."

"Did you tell her to refuse me?" asked Trunks, his anger returning.

"Why do you think everything concerns you?" demanded Vegeta, raising his own power level to match his son's. The two stared at each other unwaveringly.

"Great, they're going to be fighting forever," mumbled Bulma, "Can you give me a lift home, Goten?"

"Sure," said Goten, going to Bulma's side lifting her against him. As he blasted off he didn't see the pleased expression on the blue-haired woman's face as she secured a few private minutes to covertly drill Goten about Bra.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HER?" demanded Trunks, as everyone left the two men alone on the lookout.

"Not that it's any of your business whatsoever... but I generally told her not to let my daughter hold her back in there," said Vegeta, gesturing to the wooden doors of the Time Chamber. He then fixed Trunks with a serious look.

"And not to let my son hold her back in here," said Vegeta, tapping his head. He then turned and rocketed away from the palace.

His exit left Trunks staring after him in silence. After several minutes Trunks swivelled his head to gaze at the mahogany doors beyond which time was slowed.

_If only I could reverse time, Pan. I'd keep you from wanting to be in a different time, in a different plane of existence than I am. It must seem like hardly anything to some... just a day. If I stayed here until tomorrow, you'd be here again. But I've been there through all the major events of your life, I haven't missed a single birthday. Now I'm missing a whole year of your life, a whole year of my sister's life. A year that you _chose_ to live without me. Because you can no longer stand to be in the same realm as me. I don't blame you. I don't want to be around myself either, these days._

A voice snapped him out of his thoughts:

"I don't know who's worse: your father or _your mother_," came the groan from behind him.

Trunks turned to see that Goten had returned to the lookout, "What happened?"

"She started asking me very disconcerting questions about Bra. If Vegeta didn't show up and take her off my hands, the headlines tomorrow would have read '_Genius Scientist Bulma Briefs Dies in Fatal Skydiving Accident: Where Was Her Parachute?_'"

Trunks stared for a second before he cracked a small smile. Goten was the only person alive that he'd allow to joke about killing his mother. For as long as the two had been friends, Bulma had practically been Goten's mother as well. And for as long as Goten had been practically living with Bra, it had been assumed that Bulma would someday be Goten's mother-in-law.

Bulma had a right to question Goten about his intentions with her daughter, or sudden lack thereof. For that matter, so did Trunks.

Trunks sighed and sat down on the edge of the lookout, dangling his feet over the edge, "You did seem awfully concerned about Bra earlier. That kind of contradicts you leaving her and acting like you don't care anymore. Acting like you want to be with any woman but her. Is it all a ruse? All a farce, a cover up? The clubbing, seducing, dating Medea..."

Goten didn't respond, he just frowned.

"And you slept in her room. I think you've slept in her room many times since you two broke up, but we just never noticed. What's going on, man?"

Goten looked disturbed by the questioning, "First your mom, now you. You said you'd leave it alone..."

"I did. I tried," Trunks leaned back on his arms and stared off at the sky, "But she's my sister, man. Yesterday you blamed me for Pan avoiding you, and while that may be true, it goes both ways. I'm tired of this. I just want the girls to come home."

"You want to know why I seemed concerned? Bra is used to luxury and comfort, not pain. I know her better than anyone, and she is going to cry _every single day_ in there. Bra is used to everyone around her protecting her and fighting for her. You and me, her dad, and Pan. She's not going to know how to behave when thrust into the situation of needing to defend herself _against_ the elements and against a serious sparring partner. Pan's going to destroy her. I don't want her to get hurt."

"You already hurt her, Goten. More than any combat could."

"Better now than later. Better a little than a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm messed up, Trunks. I wish I hadn't been born..."

"What?!"

"Let me finish! At that time. I wish I hadn't been born at the time when I was. I wish I'd been born sooner, around the same time as Gohan, or later. I didn't meet my dad until I was seven... of course, I had Gohan, and I had you... but I didn't have a father, and that messed me up more than I would like to admit. What hurt me worst of all was my mother's pain. She was so unhappy, and unhappy with me because I looked like dad, and I was strong like him."

Goten sat down on the lookout beside his friend, dangling his own legs, "My greatest fear is that I'll hurt a woman the way that my dad hurt my mom. Over and over again, every time she lost him. I got in way too deep with Bra, and before I knew it, we were almost breathing as one being, practically married without the certificate. My fears kept building and building, until one day I realized it: I am my father's son. Who's to say that I won't do the same thing? Hurt Bra the way that my dad hurt my mom. I realized I loved her too much to do that to her."

Trunks gazed at his friend sadly, "But you already have."

"She's still young," said Goten stubbornly, "She can still find someone else. Someone more worthy, more suitable."

"No man on Earth could ever love Bra as much as you did, Goten. You shouldn't have screwed things up. You should have been my brother."

"Maybe in a fairytale," Goten smiled sadly and shrugged, glancing at a butterfly which must have escaped from Mr. Popo's arboretum, "Maybe you can settle for having me as an uncle?"

Trunks snorted, "Fat chance of that happening now."

"But Vegeta said..."

"Just because he wants it to be that way, and everyone wants it to be that way, doesn't make it true," argued Trunks, "He's not always right about everything."

Goten nodded, but he realized then that a part of him had been wishing for Vegeta's words to be true as well. Regardless of how much he tried to deny it and tell himself that it was time to move on... he still missed Bra terribly.

"We're idiots," breathed Goten, "Total idiots."

Trunks nodded. Goten glanced at his despondent friend and suddenly wished he had been as brave as Trunks was, and that he had been able to make an attempt to correct his mistake like that.

"I know I said I wanted you to stay away from Pan..." Goten said softly, "But I think what you did earlier was really bold. I really respect that you were honest, you confessed the truth, and you told her all your feelings like that. I couldn't do it. I'd rather run away from it all."

"Trust me. I wanted to run," said Trunks, "And all of that was probably for nothing anyway. I saw her face. She doesn't trust me anymore. She never will again."

"And Bra would never trust me. How did we ever get into these positions?" Goten asked quietly.

"I don't know," Trunks sighed. "I wish I hadn't panicked that day; I wish I had taken a second to think things through. Then maybe I wouldn't be in this position and Pan and I would be getting married right now."

"I know what you mean. I just can't get Bra out of my head either. I was so cruel," Goten whispered with a remorseful expression.

Both boys sat in silence for a moment watching the clouds beneath them pass by. Neither said a word, but then, there wasn't much for either of them to say. The damage was done.

"I kind of wish the girls would have let us show them the fusion technique," Goten said suddenly. "I really could have used that feeling of invincibility. Do you remember what it felt like?"

"Invincibility?" asked Trunks with a laugh, "Yes, but I also remember that it was fake. We were defeated. A lot."

"Still... the feeling was good," mused Goten. Then he perked up in excitement, "Want to fuse? Right now?"

Trunks raised an eyebrow, "While I would like to get away from being myself for a while... no. Not unless there's an emergency or a good reason. Otherwise I feel like an idiot doing that dance. And our families will sense it and wonder what the heck we're doing."

"You probably just don't remember the dance," teased Goten.

"I know you're trying to make me agree to fuse and it won't work."

Goten grinned, "It was worth a shot. Hey, what do you think the girls would be like if they fused?"

"I don't know. Her name would probably be Bran or something..."

"Great! Sounds like a cereal, it makes me hungry. I haven't had breakfast yet. I could go for bran muffins right about now."

"Bran," mused Trunks, "I wonder what would she look like?"

The guys looked up at each other for a moment, trying to imagine it. Trunks imagined Pan's dark hair streaked with blue on the sides, and Goten imagined Bra's bright cerulean hair streaked with black on the sides. The guys both made faces at the funny images they imagined.

"Terribly ugly," Trunks concluded.

"Horrible!" agreed Goten.

* * *

_Time here all but means nothing,  
Just shadows that move across the wall.__  
__They keep me company, but they don't ask of me__  
__They don't say nothin' at all._

* * *

_**Hyperbolic Time Chamber, First Month**_

* * *

Pan placed her hand on the transparent surface of one of the giant hourglasses. Gallons of emerald sand trickled down through its narrow neck, counting down the year. There was only a tiny mound of sand currently growing at a snail's pace in the centre of the golden base, a little green anthill's worth of concentrated time.

Pan had moderately beaten and heavily insulted Bra, refusing to allow her friend to eat or sleep until she could move around easily in the gravity. Pan had teased her relentlessly by lounging and eating scrumptious appetizing meals a few feet away from Bra, while Bra struggled to crawl towards her, cursing the whole time. Every time Bra nodded off into slumber Pan woke her up with ki blasts. Pan tried to prep herself for training by doing thousands of push ups and katas while Bra struggled to move. Pan found it easier to train than to come up with new insults to motivate Bra. Frankly, it wasn't her style, but she knew it was necessary.

It had been days and Bra's body felt heavier with each passing moment as her tiredness grew. She knew that Pan wouldn't be pushing her this hard unless she could make it, unless there was a purpose. However, she was beginning to doubt her friend's sanity and she was beginning to feel rather broken down from the insults.

Bra had finally struggled to her feet again, and took a few steps shakily—the muscles in her legs were pushed to the point where she thought they might burst. She grimaced at the pain as she fought to maintain balance, "OK, Pan. I'm up."

Pan looked away from the hourglass and walked toward Bra smiling, "Great! It took you long enough. All that time you spent shopping for fancy lingerie could have been better spent in a gravity room, don't you think?"

"No way. A girl needs the right type of thongs for the right occasions. Speaking of which, do you know what this gravity is going to do to my BREASTS? I am going to need an ultra-heavy duty sports bra, even under this armor."

"And after 27 years of being a saiyan and living around warriors training, and having a gravity room in your backyard, and being named BRA, you only just figured that out? I guess they don't have bras made of steel at _Isadora's Intimates_."

"No, personally I've always had a fondness for lace."

"Maybe your lacy undergarments can protect you from this," suggested Pan, extending her index finger and shooting a small ball of ki at Bra.

The ki ball exploded against Bra's chest, knocking her off her feet, and Pan simply gaped. _But Grandpa always said that a saiyan gets stronger the longer they fight..._

"Damn it, Pan!" Bra complained from where she lay on her back, "It took me hours to get up, and you just knocked me down again in seconds!"

"OK, this one isn't intended to be an insult, just the truth: My grandmother could kick your ass."

"Your grandmother can kick everyone's ass," said Bra wheezing as she curled up in fetal position and massaged her aching legs.

Seeing this, Pan decided to return to insults, "She wouldn't even need to use her frying pan. You're weaker than the fish we fry up for dinner!"

"Some of those fish are several times larger than I am!"

"Let me revise my statement. I think _Marron_ could kick your ass."

"You asshole!" screeched Bra as she pulled herself off the ground and tried to launch into a series of attacks against Pan. Pan quickly outmanoeuvred her and sent her crashing to the ground.

"You keep kissing and humping the floor!" said Pan laughing as she placed her boot on the back of Bra's neck, "I'd say "eat dirt" but there's no dirt here. Too bad. Lick the floor! Lick it!"

"YOFGONFPAFOFTIS," screamed Bra while her face was being ground into the white floor.

"Sorry, what's that, dear? I couldn't understand the special language you use to talk to the floor."

_I said you're going to pay for this! You bitch!_

"Get up and make me!" shouted Pan, "Get up!"

Bra had spent most of her time in the chamber so far either facedown on the ground, or on her back. Sometimes she had been forcefully thrown or knocked there, but at other times she collapsed from exhaustion. Needless to say, it was getting old. She was very sick of her newfound intimacy with the ground, and missed being vertical.

"GET UP! GET UP RIGHT NOW!" these words were ringing in her ears constantly until she was dizzy from it.

"Do you think we all became Super Saiyans from sleeping? You're the only one of us who hasn't ascended, and THIS is the reason why. BECAUSE YOU WON'T GET OFF YOUR LAZY ASS, YOU WEAK AND STUPID WOMAN!"

Pan immediately started jumping up and down on Bra's back, letting her booted heels grind into Bra's spine. Bra screamed out at the pain.

"Not so easy when you can't scream for Daddy, is it?"

Bra let tears run down her face as the pain and helplessness settled in once more. She gritted her teeth against Pan's torture and almost wished she had chosen to train with her father instead. This was brutal!

Pan balanced on Bra's back as she laughed and spat, "And _you wonder_ why Goten left you!"

Something snapped in Bra and she yelled and let out a burst of energy that she hadn't known she'd had left in her. She shot up, dislodging Pan from her back, and flipped over to kick Pan with both feet. Pan easily dodged this, but Bra was ready for the direction she moved in, and Bra landed a punch directly in Pan's face.

"YES!" shouted Pan triumphantly. She had never been so exhilarated by the fact that she'd been punched, "Great! Finally you landed a hit. A weak one, but you moved quite quickly. I think your body's adjusting to the gravity! We'll be able to fuse soon! Now let's eat and sleep, I'm starving and sleepy."

Bra's chest heaved as she panted in anger, but when she realized what she had done she smiled in pride, "I did it! I really..."

Bra's eyes closed and she crumpled to the ground.

Pan looked at her friend in mild surprise and then looked up at the empty sky in exasperation, "Really? Why me?"

* * *

_And I need just a little more silence__  
__And I need just a little more time_

* * *

_**Earth, 8 AM**_

* * *

"Good morning, sweetie. How are you feeling today?"

"Fine, mom."

"You don't look fine, dear. Would you like some breakfast?"

Goten nodded and moved to the table

"Have you sorted out your problems with Bra yet?"

_First Bulma, then Trunks, now mom. This never stops._

"The mess with Bra will never be sorted out. I left her, and I was a complete ass to her. It's over."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you if you apologize. You seem to miss her a lot. "

_I don't want to hear about this anymore! _Goten shook his head, "No, mom. Things are worse than you know. Bra's really angry and she went to train with Pan in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

Chi-Chi dropped the dish she was carrying to the table, spilling the dinosaur tail soup all over the floor.

"Oh, how clumsy of me..." she said, stooping to clean up the mess immediately, with shaking hands.

"It's alright, mom. Let me get that for you," Goten hurried to help and Chi-Chi sat on her knees on the floor and stared.

"Goten," she asked softly, "Is something wrong? Is there a new enemy?"

Goten paused and looked up at his mother in confusion, "No, mom. Why do you ask?"

"No one has used the Time Chamber in over 30 years," said Chi-Chi, "There must be a reason that the girls..."

"Don't worry, mom," said Goten, smiling and giving her gentle hug, "Things are just as peaceful as they were yesterday. Pan and Bra were just angry and unhappy and needed to go."

"I shouldn't have pushed her so hard," murmured Chi-Chi.

"What?"

"Panny. I'm partly to blame for her unhappiness. She never really wanted to be a doctor, but I made her study anyway. I know she hates her job."

"How can she hate it? She saves people's lives."

"She helped to save many more lives before she began practicing. She's been saving lives her whole life. Just in a different way, with her natural talents. Panny loves training. Just like my Goku did. I was just too afraid to let her go down that path, afraid we'd lose her. But in a way, we lost her anyway."

"It's not your fault, mom. It isn't her job that's making her unhappy, it's her love life.

"Still, she shouldn't have to leave the world to train and be herself."

"You know Panny. Any excuse to leave the world and have an adventure," said Goten smiling, "I almost don't think she'd have it any other way."

"I wish she'd spend more time at home," spoke Chi-Chi, and a strange light came into her eyes, "Sweetie, help yourself to some food. I'm going to make a phone call."

* * *

_You send your thieves to me__  
__Silently stalking me__  
__Dragging me into your war__  
__Would you give me no choice in this?__  
__I know you can't resist trying re-open a sore_

* * *

_**Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Second Month**_

* * *

Sweat trickled down her neck in little streams that traced the lines of her straining muscles. She brought her fingernails up to her neck and scraped at the sweat until her skin was reddened. She tilted her head back and ran her hands over her forehead, lifting her bangs off the skin and combing them back into the length of her hair. _Dende, I need a bandanna of some sort. I should get my orange... absolutely not, bandannas are unfashionable and geeky. But there's no one in here to see and this heat is insane!_

She stretched her hands over her shoulders and tried to lift her giant mass of hair away from her skin. It had been in a braid, but as she trained her braid almost always came undone. She moved her hands lazily, trying to do something, anything to keep her hair away from her body. The result was a lopsided, tangled bun-braid thing. She had decided she couldn't cut it, because the boys might notice that a haircut on either Pan or Bra coincided with a change in the length of Para's hair. She couldn't afford any more clues. She would cut it when it had grown at the end of the training, before the boys saw Para again so it matched her hair's previous length.

"I can't... take this heat," mumbled Para as she reached down and pulled off the breastplate of her saiyan armor, tossing it aside. Realizing that she was basically alone in the realm, she also pulled off her white gloves and boots, and even her spandex bodysuit. It was simply that sweltering hot. She would have pulled off her skin too, if that were possible and hygienic.

The Hyperbolic Time Chamber had become a raging pit of fire which must surely rival hell in its ferocity.

"A little taste... of things to come," she muttered as she forced herself to charge up ki on both her hands and left two glowing balls suspended in midair, "Because when I'm through with those guys... I'm definitely going to hell."

Charging up to Super Saiyan, Para flew at a high speed into the denser areas of the room. Once it become too unbearable, she decided to start her little obstacle course run.

She held out her hands which controlled a few dozen balls of ki spread out over hundreds of miles throughout the time chamber and flexed her fingers, shouting, "Go!"

She then immediately placed two fingers to her forehead as she teleported to one of the moving blasts and intercepted it with another beam of ki. Before they even exploded she teleported to another blast and blocked it with her knee. Before it exploded against her she teleported quickly throughout the room, sensing for the energy signals and destroying the flying balls.

Finally, after several minutes, when she could no longer sense any stray energy in the chamber, she smiled. She pulled strands of hair that escaped her haphazard bun and braid away from her moisture-soaked neck.

"It seems I'm getting better at the Instant Transmission technique. Now let me see if I can manage that Banshee Blast."

It might seem obvious why Pan had given the attack this name, but in addition to the otherworldly keening scream that had spontaneously emitted from her body the first few times she had performed the technique, she knew from folklore that the screaming banshee was sometimes the guise of an ancient warrior goddess—the Morrígan. The attack was her battle cry. Unfortunately, she had difficulty doing it simply at will like a Kamehameha, for it seemed to be closely tied to her emotions.

Para flew up into the air and arched her back. She breathed deeply before letting out the scream, letting her energy flow out from within her and exit through her mouth. A small red beam shot out of her mouth, before exploding into hundreds of even tinier blasts.

Para scratched her nose in disappointment at the size of the energy blast, "Well, that was—"

Her body separated in midair.

"—Lame," finished Pan and Bra in unison. Since they had begun training in the time chamber, they had stopped looking at the time when they transformed into Para. They both had a pretty good feel for when they would un-fuse, but sometimes when Para had used an unusually higher amount of energy in one session, she would separate more quickly than in thirty minutes.

When Pan looked over to Bra to complain about not letting her use a bandanna in the heat, her eyes widened in shock.

"YOU GODDAMNED CHEATER!" exclaimed Pan.

"What?" questioned Bra, groaning and trying to focus her double vision so that the four naked Pans in her line of sight became one. She often found that when they un-fused after expending a lot of energy, or when Para was fighting in Super Saiyan, she would feel very dizzy and weak while Pan was hardly affected. This was one of those times, and her head was aching something awful.

"It took me TWENTY years to do that, and you just piggybacked on my power!"

"To do wha...aaaaaAAAAHHH!" both of Bra's hands had reached up into her hair and she smiled ecstatically, "How did this happen? I'm a Super Saiyan!"

"That's a story for the families. 'The first time Bra turned Super Saiyan she was naked,'" said Pan with a laugh, as she flew to retrieve new sets of armor for them.

"Well, let's not tell them that part. This is exciting!" Bra smiled and flew after her. She was too thrilled with the transformation to even notice that she and Pan were not wearing any clothing. As the girls had gotten used to training together in the intense temperature fluctuations of the Time Chamber, they had basically begun to treat the whole place as their own private locker room. There were no men in the dimension, so there was no real reason for modesty.

"Yes, but now that you can do that I'm going to make you remain in that state. Just like I have been for the past two months."

"What? But I don't even know how to transform on my own," said Bra with concern, admitting, "In fact, I'm already sleepy and I really would like to power down."

"You'll learn. We're staying Super Saiyan through everything we do. When we sleep, brush our teeth, Super Saiyan. When we eat, read, Super Saiyan. When we do the dishes, shave our legs, Super Saiyan."

"I'm going to get a lot of shaving cuts, aren't I?"

"You can't even imagine."

As they reached the living area, Bra rushed to the mirror to check out her new hair, eyes, and body, "Oh wow, the hair changes _everywhere_."

"Of course it does," said Pan as she stepped into a shower of freezing cold water to cool off from the heat, "Didn't you ever notice that on Goten in bed?"

"WHAT? Goten never went Super Saiyan in bed. He was rough with me, but not THAT rough."

Pan couldn't resist a hoot of laughter as the cold water poured over her, even entering her mouth as she laughed, "That's too bad. You _really_ don't know what you were missing."

"He probably thought I was too weak to handle it. And he was probably right. But no one else can either..." mumbled Bra, gazing off thoughtfully in memory.

Feeling an odd sensation, like a bug crawling between her breasts, Bra looked down and saw a trickle of sweat sliding down her skin. Being Super Saiyan really did make her skin extremely sensitive! She suddenly remembered how boiling hot the room was as she stared at the sweat droplets tickling her abdomen, "Hey! My turn in the shower please!"

Bra ran over to her friend and pushed Pan out of the tub and stuck her own head under the stream of water. Pan promptly tripped over the side and would have fallen flat on her bum if she didn't use her ki to stop her an inch away from impact.

"I can't believe I'm a Super Saiyan!" said Bra happily as the cold water refreshed her, "Now I get to find out if blondes really DO have more fun!"

"I can assure you, they do," said Pan as she grabbed a towel and dried herself off. She wrapped the towel around her because she didn't feel like putting on clothes yet in this sizzling heat, "You know, orgasms are basically muscle contractions."

"Yes, so?" asked Bra, turning to glance at her friend.

Pan just smiled, "When you're Super Saiyan... your muscles get stronger, even your pelvic muscles. This allows more sensation and more intense contractions. Why, I remember one time when Trunks and I were both Super Saiyan..."

Pan trailed off, staring off at nothing in particular with a giant stupid smile on her face.

"What?" asked Bra with annoyance, "What were you about to say?"

"Nothing," said Pan, still smiling as she walked to the kitchen cupboards to prepare a meal.

"TELL ME!" Bra shouted after her, turning off the flow of water in the shower.

Pan stuck her head out of the cupboard, "Oh, it's nothing. It's just that once I had an orgasm that lasted for about an hour, that's all."

"Wha—" Bra slipped and fell in the tub, hitting her head and cracking the ceramic basin. Her hair turned blue as she returned to her normal state from Super Saiyan.

Pan smirked and went back to preparing her food, "I knew I shouldn't have told her."

* * *

_Leave me be, I don't want to argue__  
__I'd just get confused and I'd come all undone__  
__If I agree, well, it's just to appease you__  
__Cause I don't remember what we're fighting for_

* * *

_**Earth, 10 AM**_

* * *

Trunks looked up from his desk as the door to his office slammed. He adjusted his glasses and sighed, "Mom, I'm in the middle of..."

Bulma slapped the newspaper down on his desk, fixing him with a terrifying glare.

"Who is she, Trunks?"

Trunks pulled his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Mom, it's not what it looks li..."

"What is her name?" asked Bulma.

"Medea," Trunks answered.

"Give me her full name, please, and any other information you have on her. I'm going to run a background check on her."

"There's no need to investigate her... she's just a friend, and _Goten's_ interested in her, not me."

"Goten?!" screeched Bulma, thinking of her daughter, then she quickly composed herself, "Do you put your hands all over all of Goten's girlfriends? Kiss them romantically? Go lingerie shopping with them?"

"Mom, look..."

"No, you look. Give me the girl's last name."

Trunks opened his mouth then stared blankly.

"I... don't know it.

Bulma threw her hands up into the air, "Wonderful. This is wonderful. What is she, an escort? A stripper?"

"No!" shouted Trunks, "Listen, mom..."

"Poor Pan, no wonder she's gone berserk," whispered Bulma, before she shook her head and straightened her posture, "Well, anyway, I'd like to inform you of some changes to the company."

Trunks nodded, glad for the focus of the conversation to be away from his personal life.

"I received a call from Chi-Chi earlier, and she got the wheels turning in my head. I am going to offer Pan and Bra permanent positions in the company when they return. Pan's talents and knowledge are being wasted at that backward hospital, so I'm going to hire her to do research in biomedical engineering. Similarly, Bra is quite clever and innovative, and I think she'll be able to produce a lot more with our facilities than she can from her basement."

"That's a good idea," mused Trunks, "If the girls agree, that is. They might find it awkward to work in the same building with me."

Bulma smiled and sat down on the side of his desk casually, "Oh, that won't be a problem. Since you're taking a sabbatical, and all. "

"I am? I don't remember deciding…"

"I decided. It's a nice way of saying '_You're fired_.'"

"You can't fire me, I'm the president!"

"And I'm your mother. I can do anything I want. It's only a temporary leave: besides, generally presidents who screw up so much they get blackmailed and agree to have sex with our competitors and accidentally get them murdered to fix their mistakes aren't very good presidents."

"But no one even found out about that until now! I did a great job of covering it up…"

"The point is that there shouldn't have to be such problems to cover up. And wasn't the cost of losing your girlfriend, not just any girlfriend, but losing _PAN,_ to cover up a company issue, a little too steep? I think you need a break, son. Train with your dad, take some time away from the office."

"Who will take over my responsibilities?"

"I can step back in, or Gohan can do it. It doesn't matter. I'll figure it out. You will keep up appearances and appear at the Charity Ball next month, just as you always do. You'll just serve as a figurehead for a while, and nothing more."

Trunks leaned back in his chair, running his hands through his hair, "What am I going to do with my time?"

"Get your life back. Rediscover yourself, and bring my son back to me."

Trunks sighed waving his hand at himself, "I'm sorry for all this... everything, lately mom."

"Just get yourself together," said Bulma, standing up, "And one more thing. Regarding Pan... I hope that she forgives you, and that the two of you end up together. But if not, I hope you're ready to move on."

Bulma poked her finger at the newspaper, "I'm not going to force any other decisions on you, but just remember to inform me of whatever decisions you do make. I'm your mother. If you're going to get serious with a girl, you have to bring her home to meet your family. You also have to know her last name."

"Yes, mom."

* * *

_You see love—a tight, thorny thread  
that you spin in a circle of gold__  
__To have me, to hold me__  
__A token for all to see__  
__Captured to be yours alone_

* * *

_**Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Third Month**_

* * *

Bra was resting in her thick pyjamas, covered by several blankets. As Pan couldn't sleep she stared over at her friend with annoyance as she watched her hair flickered from blue to golden. Blue to golden. Blue to golden. Finally Bra's hair turned blue and remained that way. Tears ran down her face, even in her sleep.

Pan sighed. She wanted to wake Bra up and tell her to transform back into Super Saiyan, but she knew her friend needed her rest. They'd had a really long day of training and she didn't want Bra to have as difficult a time falling back asleep as she was now having. She'd let it go, just this once.

The Time Chamber was freezing, and Pan pulled her own blankets up around her neck tighter. There was nothing she hated more than trying to sleep while her body couldn't get warm. For Dende's sake! She was Super Saiyan, but her body still couldn't keep itself warm. She couldn't even have taken a warm bath if she'd wished to, because the water froze instantly as it left the faucets. It was below below freezing. She'd had to use her ki to melt the ice in their glasses so that they could drink it. She'd had to use her ki to heat up their food so they could sink their teeth on the frozen meat and chew the crunchy solid rice.

She missed Antarctica. You know things are bad when you wish you were in Antarctica to keep warm.

Most of all, she missed Trunks. When you're cold and shivering in bed after a long training session, when you're bleeding and hurting and you feel so very small and weak... that's when a girl most wishes she had her man to hold her. Pan knew this, and she imagined that was the cause of Bra's tears as well. She felt sorry that she'd been so rough on her friend. But at least Bra was asleep now.

Pan closed her eyes. _Dende, please watch over her. Give her strength. And please, give me strength too. Let me bottle up the fact that I'm just as pathetically in love with an idiot as she is, and never display such evidence of it as her constant tears. It's just because I'm weak right now, isn't it? I just miss him because he was a large warm body beside mine at night, correct? Correct. _

Pan released a frozen breath into the air.

_That's all that Trunks was. A large warm body. But why did he have to be so warm? So large? So incredibly comfortable. Never mind! The more I think about why I'm missing what I'm missing the more I miss it. It's so hard to sleep in this stupid blinding light. _

She stood up and stretched. She slipped out of her pyjamas and quickly tugged on her saiyan armor. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around herself before strolling out into the whiteness of the chamber. It was depressing. She would have given anything to have a peaceful night stroll that looked like actual night.

_Why did I even come here in the first place? Oh, yes. Because I'm a lunatic._

Perhaps the most unsettling thing about being in the Time Chamber was the lack of a starry night sky. In the first couple of months when Pan had laid on the ground, exhausted from training and half-dead, she had missed the joy of watching the stars. It was as though a part of her were truly missing.

Now, she was beginning to forget that the night sky had ever existed.

And if it that starry night sky had never existed, well then—she'd never been out there and fallen in love. It was all so far away, another lifetime. A dream. Right?

Not really.

She glanced down at her hand, and her eyes settled on the brilliant orange diamond. She could never look at it without her hands beginning to shake. She began to feel emotional and she rolled her eyes at herself, _Quit it, Pan Son. You're a mess. Pitiful._

She did the only thing she could think of to distract her. She threw off the blanket and blasted off into the most severe area of the chamber, and flew and flew as fast and as far as she could until she felt like she was being crushed by the air itself. Her ears stung so much that she thought they might fall off, and her nose and fingertips and toes were not faring much better.

_Amputations suck_, she reminded herself, _they really do. Even as a Super Saiyan I still am made of flesh and blood. I have to be careful not to overdo it._

When Pan couldn't fly any further, she powered up and yelled, and flew even further. She flew for hundreds of miles into the empty void, conscious somewhere in her mind that it was dangerous to do this alone, but unable to stop herelf. Finally she stopped and fell to the ground, breathing hard, "OK. OK. A little more."

She took a few shaking steps into the dense air, her head splitting, her body freezing.

"Alright, time to shake it up Tien-style!" said Pan, crossing her arms over her chest and concentrating hard to create a replica-body of herself.

The new Pan smirked at the first one evilly, "I see you're tired of training with the Princess, and want to finally take on a _real_ warrior!"

"Dende, am I really that cocky and annoying?" Pan mused, as she dropped into a fighting stance.

"Yes. It must have rubbed off from spending so much time with Trunks. It's a wonder you still have any friends," said the second Pan as she yelled and charged the first.

"Aren't you charming?!" shouted Pan as she powered up against the elements and worked to block the oncoming onslaught. Each blocked blow hurt as much as if it had been delivered anyway. She was placing her knees and elbows and forearms and hands out to block the attacks from hitting her more vital and sensitive areas, like her face and neck and stomach, but it hurt all the same. Then she saw an opening and took it. It was her turn to attack.

After each of the Pans had had her turn to attack, both of them stopped and smiled and shouted, opening their mouths as widely as possible and letting out the most inhuman and unfeminine roars possible. The vibrations actually hurt her vocal cords, and made her throat feel raw. She would never be able to shout like that on the Planet Earth. She should yell all she could in this void, and reach all the deepest fathoms of her power.

She looked at herself in the eyes and began attacking again without reservation, without mercy. She didn't hold back or be careful as she had when she trained with Bra. She went all out. This woman really could handle the fight. She knew that. Every time her foot connected with jaw, or her fist connected with abdomen, every crack of bone and every rip of muscle that she felt, she felt incredible joy from. She was only hurting herself. And she was really angry with herself. She had pissed herself off quite a bit lately.

"You're worthless," said one Pan to the other, spitting out blood and laughing, "You're nothing without him."

"Really? Because from the looks of it now, I am definitely worth something. I am powerful, I am strong. Why do I need him?

"Isn't it obvious? You need him to define yourself. You need him to feel like an adult, like a woman. You need him with every fibre of your being, to love you into loving yourself."

"Shut up," said Pan, raising both of her hands to her forehead, her palms crossed over each other and facing outward "I was fine without him, wasn't I? I don't need him to do this: MASENKO HA!"

The other Pan smiled and stretched her arms out to her sides before bringing them in front of her, "But you did need him to teach you this: FINAL FLASH!"

The two energy beams collided and the opposite Pans sent more and more energy into the blasts. They struggled to control the huge amount of energy that was building.

"You've always been dependent on someone! Before him it was your grandfather! When you lost Grandpa Goku, you turned to Trunks, and you poured all your excess love into him. Dependency!"

"No! I am not dependant! I am strong."

"Emotional enslavement! You can't even sleep at night without him!" shouted Pan as her hands shook. At least the heat from the giant energy was finally keeping her warm.

"I can! I've gotten along just fine without him for months!"

"Then why are you wearing the ring?!"

Both of the Pans looked down at the ring on their respective fingers as they pumped energy into the attacks.

"Because I'm an idiot," Pan answered truthfully, as tears left her eyes and froze on her cheeks, "I love him."

"And you should pay for your mistake!" shouted the other Pan, putting every last drop of energy into her beam, "YOU SHOULD PAY FOR BEING WEAK!"

"No!" cried Pan, putting her hands up to block the attack and watching in disbelief as the energy seeped through her fingers.

_It's going to kill me, _she realized and her stomach clenched in terror. As her arms became engulfed by the attack her multi-form disappeared back into her body. _Power up, Pan, _she told herself, _please power up. There has to be more somewhere inside of me._

She pulled and pulled from deep within her and came up with nothing. Only more emptiness and longing. _Trunks, _she thought to herself, _Trunks, I do need you. I can't do anything on my own. I need you to save me now, just like you always did. But that's impossible._

_If I died out here my body would never be found. I don't think Bra can come this far out into the chamber unless we're Para. This is further than Para has even been. _She suddenly wondered if she could teleport back to Bra. In the second that she moved one hand away from the blast it would surely engulf and kill her. But it was worth a shot! She tried to find Bra's energy signal and inwardly cursed. Bra had powered down in her sleep and she was too far away to sense. She couldn't teleport anywhere, there were no other energy signals in the void.

_This kind of a pathetic way to die. I'm not pathetic. There's more inside of me. There must be._

_I need to show myself... I need to show myself that I can be strong without him. I need to survive this blast. I don't need him. I don't. I'm a saiyan. I'm a woman. I'm powerful as an individual on my own._ She gazed at the ring on her finger, and suddenly felt ashamed to be wearing it. She felt ashamed that she could be dying with it on in a few more seconds.

_If I can live, _she promised herself as the blast enveloped her torso, _I will take off the ring. I must live. I must find a way to bring out the power, to milk every drop of energy from my center. I am Pan Son, the daughter of Gohan, the Granddaughter of Goku... and the world champion Hercule Satan, but that's not something I should think of right now. _

_FOCUS! FOCUS! Papa would kill me if I died. FOCUS, PAN! I can do this!_ She opened her mouth and screamed, yelling just as she had done before, and she touched it.

She touched it. It was there, encased in a brilliant diamond deep within her, more valuable than any that could be worn. More valuable than any jewel that could be given from another was the diamond within. She didn't know where it had come from, if it had always been there, or if it had just been created. But as she touched it, she grasped it with her mind, and she tapped it. She unleashed it, and it brought a huge influx of energy to her power.

She would survive! She had found that immense concentration of power hidden at her core, she had touched it. But was it enough? Did she even know how to use it? She felt the blast which had engulfed her finally explode, and she could do nothing but grasp the energy for all she was worth. Grasp the diamond for dear life.

She felt death. She touched that too, and it tasted metallic and cold. She thought of her mother and father. She thought of Vegeta. She thought of Goten and Trunks. She thought of Bra. Their faces all swam through her mind and she sobbed as the energy burned through her skin. She thought of her Grandfather, and she tried to fight against the blast she'd created.

_I can't die like this_

Darkness inundated her, seeping to her core and causing her to lose her grip on her power. The world slipped away.

* * *

I KNOW RIGHT? Let me smack myself for you.

What is my obsession with ALWAYS killing Pan at the end of a chapter? Jesus! In ALL my stories. I didn't intend for this to happen. I just... bleh. Well, that's what GT is like too.

I cut this chapter in half because it was about 20,000 words. The next one is soon to follow, practically finished.

Oh, the part where Bra thought there was a bug on her chest. That really happens to me like every summer. It's embarrassing, but you wouldn't believe how many times I have hit myself in the chest because I thought there was a bug there, and it was just dripping sweat. Too much information?! Lol.

Do you guys find the songs in the chapters distracting? Hmmm, I don't usually include so many.

Your reviews have been getting me SO fired up to write this story. Please add more fuel to my fire! =D


	9. Truth to Impossibility

_Chapter Nine: Truth To Impossibility_

Apparently it's actually possible for some women to have orgasms lasting a whole hour. I researched it before putting it in the last chapter. They even have courses to teach you how. I'm sure it would be easily possible as a Super Saiyan. But anyway, that's not what the title of this chapter refers to; it's just a side note.

**Anmylica**: A million thanks to you. Without your constant motivation and your patient ear, I definitely wouldn't be getting these chapters out as quickly as I am. You're my muse! If you ever need a vacation, consider Toronto! =)

**dolce-bebe**: Wow! Thank you for drawing that sketch of Para, I love it! It is definitely close to what I imagined! I hope everyone will get a chance to pull the URL from your review and peek at it. =D Her hair is simply perfect... the bangs are wild and sexy and very Pan while the luscious wavy length is very Bra. The look in her eyes is just so coy and badass! Thank you for sketching that, it will definitely help me with writing her attitude.

**Kinomiya**: Oh my goodness! Thank you for this thorough and wonderful review. I am so sorry to make you wait for chapters, but I am writing as much as I can without going completely broke from skipping out on work. XD I see that you're a very forgiving person, and I promise you'll be satisfied with the end of the story, but things will definitely get worse before they get better! Just a warning. =)

**jazzyfizzler**: I think it's safe to say your Goten-hating has reached an all-time maximum, lol! I never think it's possible for you to hate him more, then I read your reviews and my mouth drops open! Actually if you google Pan and Bra and Fusion you'll see an image of someone's rendition of "Bran"—the drawing isn't bad, but I just couldn't call the fusion in my story "Bran" because it's toooo masculine to sound like the name of an ultimate seductress. Haha! Glad you like the one-hour orgasm thingy! Maybe we should go to those classes that teach you how to have them? Lol! Anyway, I really really must thank you for your in-depth analysis of the Pan vs. Pan fight. I'm so glad you read so deeply into it, and it makes me feel really warm and fuzzy inside. You're the best! It makes writing so much easier to know that someone like you is going to read it, and it makes it so much more rewarding at the end when I receive your review. It's an amazing feeling!

**SpicyShani**: No way! Toronto is colder than the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. I can't toss out the trash without my hands cracking and bleeding, lol. All the more reason to stay inside and write. XD Glad you like the time periods. I've been trying to keep the action in-sync. Thank you once more for reviewing!

**famoso**: As always, I am impressed with how sharp you are. You always pick up on my little hints! I can tell you this: there may be another man or men in the picture soon for our girls. And if there is, the man or men will be very impressive. I can't have our girls with anything less than the best, and if there is such a fellow he needs to be able to make Trunks and/or Goten very jealous—I will wait until the right moment for that. =)

**Hanako**: Awww! I'm so sorry, but she has to find her own strength first. =) I used the song "Time" by Sarah Mclachlan in the last chapter. I love that CD of hers, I listen to it while driving at night, it's so serene! Thank you for reviewing once more. Hope you like this chappy too!

**The0Blind0Writer:** Exactly! I agree that Bran is way too masculine sounding. ALSO, all previous fusions had the SON part as the first half of the name, AND the YOUNGER part as the first part of the name. This is my highly detailed formula for finding fusion names:  
_GOTEnks_: Goten is one year younger than Trunks, and a Son. Sounds cooler than Trunkten.  
_GOgeta_: Goku is five years younger than Vegeta, and a Son. Sounds cooler than Vegeku or Vegitto.  
_PAra_: Pan is one year younger than Bra, and a Son. Sounds cooler than Bran.  
As you can see, I have given this way too much thought. I must have no life.

**gina31486**: Sorry for the delay in updating! I finished this one as fast as I could. I laughed so hard when I read your phrase "elite hooker"—I may have to have someone call Trunks that in the story! Thank you so much for mentioning Pan using her own image. I am glad you read so deeply into that. =) I love it when readers dig a little deeper for meaning. Even though this is just fanfiction and I'm not a professional writer (yet), there can still be symbolism! In my defence though, I have started doing one thing which is more like a professional writer: I drink constantly while writing now, for the past few chapters and this one. (Trying to see if it makes me more creative.)

**Phantasom**: I do love Kami, so I have updated! Thank you once more for reviewing. Hope you enjoy this one too!

**WingedKiller**: Thank you for your review! Glad you find it interesting. =)

**marai pan**: I am so glad you are enjoying more than just the smut! Wow, you seem verrrry angry with Trunks, lol. Don't worry. I have major plans for making the guys jealous. ^-^ It will be fun! Just bear with me for a few chapters.

**Leecassi**: Thanks again for reviewing! I would definitely read anything you wanted to send me. Just pop me a private message anytime if you'd like! =D

**Talk smith kid**: Thanks for your feedback on the Bra & Pan chemistry. I'm trying to portray their friendship as a mirror of the one Trunks and Goten had as kids. I mean, I know that friendship has caused hundreds of TrunksXGoten Yaoi fics... but however you perceive the friendship of the boys, I find it beautiful and think everyone should have a friend like that. Pan and Bra aren't given that chance nearly enough in GT.

**Suzki**: Thank you so much for your review! I am glad you liked the interaction between the parents of Trunks and Pan. When I started this story I didn't know if I was going to include the parents at all, but I realized after a few chapters that I love Gohan and Vegeta too much to leave them out of this. It just isn't Pan and Trunks without their parents, they need those connections.

**mali86**: Thanks! I hope you enjoy the events to follow. =)

**Ayaka86**: I am delighted that you think I captured their personalities and emotions well! I can think of no better compliment and I hope I can continue doing so just as well.

**faaser14**: Hi. OK, I know you didn't review this story, but about the age difference between Trunks and Pan. I'm absolutely 100% sure it is 14 years. Trunks born in Age 766, Pan is born in Age 780. _14 years later_. I know you might think that Gohan and Videl would get it on immediately after the Buu Saga, but they really didn't! They waited for Gohan to finish school. A lot of fanfics change the ages because writers are uncomfortable with it or it may not suit the story.  
Please. Trust me on this. I know my characters, I do my research. Besides, if I were wrong it would mean that when I was 14 and dating guys who were nearly 30 to try and emulate T & P and to find "my Trunks" I was evidently misguided. (But I was misguided, for after several years of real-life research on this matter I'm convinced that only men who are over the age of 50 have any maturity and Trunks is far too young anyway.)

I guess things have to get worse before they get better! Lol.

The song I include in this chapter (later on, after I finish off with Sarah Mclachlan's "Time") is by another Canadian girl, Nelly Furtado, and that song suits Pan SO much! In my opinion.

~PanHopeNvs

* * *

_For courage to pull away__  
__there will be hell to pay__  
__the deeper you cut to the bone_

* * *

_**Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Third Month**_

* * *

Bra stirred sleepily, and feeling a ki surge she brought up her hands to cover her head, "Sorry, Pan. I guess I fell out of Super Saiyan again. Don't blast me."

Hearing nothing, and feeling no impact, she snapped fully awake and looked over at the bed a few feet away from hers, "Pan?"

She frowned, realizing that the energy she felt was nowhere nearby. She looked out into the distance and couldn't see Pan anywhere. She began to panic.

She felt the massive explosion of two different forms of energy and felt Pan's life force spike to an incredible height before it quite suddenly disappeared completely. She couldn't sense Pan.

_I can't die like this._

Bra shivered at the thought she'd overheard. She brought her hands to her chest in fear, trying to reach her friend telepathically, _Pan? Pan?!_

Bra leapt off the bed, flying in the direction that she had last felt the energy. She flew for about half an hour in Super Saiyan before she couldn't continue any further. The energy signal had completely disappeared and she had no clue where she was heading.

_PAN? PAN! If you're alive, even barely, can you respond to me?_

Bra felt dread as the scenarios ran through her mind, the dozens of "What-ifs" of Pan having died out in the void. She imagined leaving the Time Chamber alone. She imagined having to tell Gohan and Videl. She imagined having to tell her brother! _Dende, Trunks will be so heartbroken, _Bra thought sadly.

Bra continued searching, walking around and calling out mentally and physically for what felt like a very long and terrifying time. _Pan! PAN! _Her mind screamed over and over again. She was feeling chilled in her pyjamas because she hadn't thought to put on her armor when she had flown out of bed. Now the below-below freezing air was creeping under her clothes and pricking her skin like sharp needles. She simply hated sub-zero acupuncture.

Suddenly, as Bra looked around in every direction and saw only white nothingness, she realized that she was lost. And she had lost Pan. Bra wrapped her arms around herself and sunk to her knees in trepidation.

She was out further in the abyss than she ever had been. She had never even been out so far that she couldn't see the living area—not alone. Not without Pan. She had never really prided herself on having a keen sense of direction, and she had always relied on Pan to help her get back to the centre of the room.

Not only was Pan lost and possibly dead, but now she, too, was also disoriented. If she couldn't find Pan, she probably wouldn't be able to find the living area again. If she couldn't find Pan, there was no point in going back anyway.

_PAN! _she called out mentally, forcing herself into a standing position and struggling onward through the density toward where she THOUGHT the energy signal had last been.

She continued to push onward, one slow step at a time, calling out mentally every few minutes. Her Super Saiyan energy was draining, and it was challenging to stay powered up.

Finally, after a long time, she stopped. She stopped and stood there helplessly.

_DAMN YOU, PAN SON! _she screamed through their telepathic channel, _YOU DO NOT GET TO RUN AWAY FROM YOUR PROBLEMS THROUGH AN EASY DEATH! WE'RE GOING BACK TO EARTH AND WE'RE GOING TO RAISE SOME HELL, AND SCREW WITH EVERYONE'S MINDS LIKE WE PLANNED, DO YOU HEAR ME?_

Bra pounded both of her fists into the ground angrily.

_Bra...? _came the feeblest of hushed thoughts.

Bra looked up in shock at finally getting a response. Tears of relief flooded her eyes, _Oh, thank Dende!_

_Am I dead?_

_I hope not. But I can't feel your energy. Raise your ki, Pan. _

_My... ki?_

_Pan! Raise your ki so I can find you._

_I can't feel my body. _

_It's really cold out here, maybe you're just numb. Try to move; try to raise your ki. _

Bra waited a few seconds and hearing no response, and feeling no energy, she began to worry.

_Pan, are you still with me? _There was still no response. Was Pan really dead? In another realm? Or had she just fallen asleep? Bra powered up herself.

_Do you feel my energy, Pan? Do you feel my energy signal? I can't find you, and I can't go any deeper into the void. I'm trying but my body is being crushed and frozen. Please, if you can, use Instant Transmission to come to me._

_Bra..._

_Come on, Pan! Come on. Teleport here. _

_I can't feel my arms. I can't find my fingers. I... can't breathe. I think I'm suffocating. _

_Dende, Pan! Where the hell are you? I'm freaking out. _Bra raised her ki higher, pushing it as far as it could possibly go so Pan couldn't help but feel her. Bending her elbows, she brought her hands to her sides and charged up a continuous stream of small ki bullets which she launched in every possible direction.

_Do you see my energy?_ She asked, as she continued firing ki blasts frantically in random directions.

_Bra? I can sense you. Why can't I move or breathe?_

_I don't know! But whatever it is, you have to snap out of it now, do you hear me? This isn't funny! _Bra continued to fire the energy, hundreds of blasts, desperately.

_Ouch! _

_What is it, Pan?_

_Something just hit me in the face. At least now I can feel my face._

_That must be one of my ki blasts!_

Pan was finally able to blink and open her eyes and take a deep gasping breath. She looked down and realized her body was encased in thick ice. Her head had been covered too, but luckily one of Bra's stray ki blasts had smacked her squarely in the face and melted the ice which had kept her eyes and mouth closed.

_Good shot. I would have been a permanent popsicle in a few more minutes if not for you. I'm frozen solid here! _Pan gasped for breath violently, sucking in deep lungful after lungful. Her diaphragm couldn't fully expand as her abdomen was encased tightly in a frosty tombstone. As she inhaled frantically, she struggled to move her body against the ice, but she was too weak and her motions were unsuccessful.

_Raise your energy!_

Pan tried to gather ki to the palms of her hands, but none would flow. _I don't have any left. _

_Don't give me that bullshit. You just need to be able to touch your forehead and teleport to me. _

_I can't._

_How hard can it be to melt a little ice? I think I have my telepathy wires crossed! This can't be Pan I'm thinking to, because the Pan I know was stronger than a few icicles. And slightly smarter than them, too._

_I think I finally ascended to Super Saiyan 2. The transformation took all my ki. _

_Wonderful. Now can you do it again? _

_How can I possibly... well... actually... that's a good idea. I'll try. _Pan closed her eyes, the lashes already heavy from beginning to become coated in ice again. She tried to reach into that place deep inside her that she had touched before._ Where was it? In the back of the bottom of my mind, hidden under all the messy wires and stress and troubles. A peaceful place. In the part of my soul that doesn't need anything other than itself to be strong. What did it feel like? Like a precious prism filled with power. Hard lines and smooth surfaces, perfect geometry radiating warmth and distilled electric ki. How did I tap into it? How did I access it?_

_I just needed to. I just knew I would, and felt confident in that and... I just relaxed..._

Pan tilted her head back as found the place and latched onto it. She felt the warmth of energy flood through her. She used her mind to concentrate on accessing the energy, and refuelling her body. The ice slipped away from her skin like silk would, and she flexed her fingers immediately. The feeling had returned to them as she powered up on her newly discovered backup battery—the secret emergency reserves. She felt her body and instinctively knew there would be none of the normal adverse side affects—she didn't have frostbite, nor would she be losing any limbs.

_Which is great, because amputations still suck, _she thought to herself. It was very good to be part-saiyan. Very, very good.

_Amputations? _responded Bra with panic, _Pan, I can feel your power again! It's stronger than before! You're far away. Are you alright?_

Pan laughed to herself with relief, _That telepathy sure has a long range on it, doesn't it?_

_I'm discovering that. Can you teleport here?_

Pan extended her fingers and pulled her hand into the Instant Transmission form, but then she smiled down at her hand. It was unnecessary now. As she looked at her newly mobile fingers, and wiggled them, she remembered her promise to herself that if she survived she would take off the ring. She had already grown accustomed to wearing it, but it was due time to part with the burden which it symbolized.

The problem with Trunks was not just that he had betrayed her. It was that she had trusted him, and she had allowed herself to be hurt—the problem was that she had allowed herself to lose control to an extent which she had never done before, and she had become her own worst enemy; she had become a monster.

Pan had never killed another innocent human being out of simple rage. She had 'disabled' plenty of criminals to save innocents, but she had never acted so much without reason or logic. So animalistic. She might love Trunks, despite his misdeeds, but she had a hard time feeling self-esteem when she had stooped so low. She had a hard time feeling proud of herself or comfortable with herself while she wore his engagement ring.

She levitated off the ground and flew toward Bra, reaching her very quickly despite how far away she was. Her new form gave her impressive speed.

When Bra saw her friend she sighed in relief, "What were you thinking, going off on your own in the middle of the night like that? You could have been killed!"

Pan landed close to her and walked forward, holding up the hand with the Taiyou Diamond on it. She pulled the engagement ring off her hand and tossed it into the air with a smile, before catching it in her fist.

"I realized that I can't wear this anymore."

Bra stared wordlessly for a moment, surprised at Pan's change of heart, "I guess you're not going to be my sister, then."

"Your sister?" asked Pan, as she walked with Bra back to the living area, "We're the same person half of the time, isn't that close enough?"

Bra looked over at her friend and smiled, but then her smile disappeared. She could see and feel Pan's increased life force.

"You really have ascended," said Bra in awe, "Appearance-wise it's not a huge difference, but I can see it. Your hair is spikier and longer. You've got major bangs all of a sudden, and your energy... it's insane! It's amplified at least tenfold!"

Pan nodded as they walked, "I've been close for a while... I don't know why I couldn't touch it before. I guess everyone is motivated differently. You'll probably achieve this transformation before we leave the room as well."

"Are you kidding? I can't even control the first one yet. If it took you six years to achieve the second level after the first... it's impossible for me to do it in a few months."

"Anything is possible for us," remarked Pan. She could feel the truth of that in the power that hummed within her.

* * *

_And I need just a little more silence  
And I need just a little more time_

* * *

_**Earth, 3 PM**_

* * *

He'd left a few of his things there, and this was probably the best time to get them. The mistress of the house wasn't in the dimension. The items were not really of any importance or significance... but some of his favourite clothes and such were probably lying in the drawers or hanging in the closets.

Goten lifted his hand shakily and inserted the key in the door. He turned the key, followed by the knob, and pushed the door in to enter, immediately punching in the security key code as the alarm started beeping in warning. As he entered the digits on the keypad he wondered worriedly if she'd changed the code, but when the lights stopped blinking and the alarm stopped beeping, he breathed a sigh of relief.

She hadn't changed the password. The numbers still were those of his birthday.

He knew that it was probably just due to laziness, but part of him liked to think that it meant something that she would keep the code the same. She did still have to punch it in every time she entered her house... wouldn't it be disturbing to her to do so if she didn't still love him? Had she forgotten what the numbers meant and just keyed them mindlessly out of habit? Or did she think of him each time she entered the digits, and inwardly cringe?

Goten closed the door gently behind him, feeling like a stranger in the house he had lived in short weeks ago. Like a breaking-and-entering Goldilocks. Regardless, out of habit, he took off his shoes and put them in the place where they had always gone before. Had she intentionally kept that spot empty? Kami knows she had enough shoes to fill up his spot and then some. He sighed, floating up the stairs, reminding himself not to leave any more evidence of him being there than was absolutely necessary.

He entered the room which used to be "his" room—regardless of the fact that he'd never slept in it. He'd kept some of his clothing there, but there hadn't been much room since Bra's collection of clothing filled every room of the house, even the guest suites, and the closets of the furnished basement/laboratory. Not that Goten was ever allowed down into the basement, for it was Bra's "private space" where she liked to play mad-scientist all by her lonesome. She demanded no interruptions so that she could maintain absolute concentration.

He found a smile coming to his face as he thought of her adorable quirks. He then reminded himself what he was there for. Goten noticed that the bed in "his" room had been recently slept in by someone very messy who hadn't bothered to make the bed before leaving in a hurry. He approached the bed, and could judge from the way the pillows were arranged, and from the scent that assailed him that it was his very untidy niece that now occupied these quarters.

Something about the scent made him pause for a second. He sniffed the air curiously, trying to place the scent—where had he come across that before? It was Pan but... there was something different in it. It was a subtle scent, but something about it was very familiar. _It smells sweet yet... musky? Burnt sugar, maybe. I can't quite describe it... Now where have I smelt that before? _

Goten shrugged, but the longer he tried to determine the scent the more it seemed to invade his nostrils. _Maybe the girls are using the same body lotion or something. Girls are weird like that. _Before the scent became too overwhelming, Goten left the room and found his feet carrying him naturally to Bra's room. He walked in, and felt his heart ache with the memories that flooded him.

Bra's scent now engulfed him, and he felt much more comfortable inhaling that welcomed, recognized aroma. It smelled like home. It was sweet torture. _Dende, how I've missed her. But she can never know. I should really just grab my clothes and leave. _

Bra's bed was neatly made up, unlike Pan's. He walked over to it, and stood there for a moment. He ran his hands over the duvet, and felt suddenly very angry with himself. He felt anguish tug at him, and he closed his eyes. He had no idea how long he'd stood there, simply breathing in Bra's scent and fingering the duvet.

_Like lemon meringue pie. Like vanilla bean ice cream. Like my saiyan princess._

His eyes snapped open. _I should really get my clothes and leave. _

He told himself this as his hands tugged the duvet cover back, and he slipped off his socks and placed them on the bedside table. Just as he'd done hundreds of times before. He eased himself down onto the bed so that he could be surrounded by her scent. He turned and buried his face in the pillow, inhaling deeply.

_Vegeta is always right. I am definitely a retard. What have I done? Anyway... I won't think of that now. I can pretend nothing's wrong right now. Just for a few minutes. I'll pretend she's beside me. Just on the other side of this giant king-sized orthopedic bed. _

A smile came to his lips as he vividly imagined the unfolding scene. _At any moment maybe she'll turn over and hug me, or snuggle against my side. And she'll mutter something unintelligible but endearing. And I'll say something boring and uninspiring like:_

"_Get some rest, my angel. We have a long day tomorrow." Or maybe I'll say, "Sweet dreams, Bra-chan. I love you."_

_And maybe I'd kiss her forehead or her hair. Depending on how awake she is, she might tilt her head up to kiss my chin, then my lips. Nine out of ten times, if both of us were semi-conscious and with an iota of energy in us, which we usually were, that kiss would turn into a hundred kisses, and we'd end up making love. _

Goten began to imagine how quickly he would rip her clothing off. She wouldn't mind—any excuse to buy new clothes made her happy. He could almost feel how soft her skin was as he ran his hands down over her back, resting them gently just under her buttocks and...

_But that's just fantasy and fiction... and history, really. I made sure of that. But really, when I'm lying here, when I can smell her... it doesn't feel over, and she could really be close enough for me to touch. _

Goten fell asleep there, in Bra's bed at her waterfront home, and he dreamed of her.

* * *

_**Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Fifth Month**_

* * *

"Goodnight, Goldilocks."

Bra had finally managed to knock Pan unconscious. It felt only natural to say something cocky and cheesy to emphasize the moment. It was only the second time Pan had lost consciousness since she had entered the chamber—the first when she ascended to Super Saiyan Level 2 and the second now. Bra, in comparison, had been knocked out dozens of times. Her count was inestimable. A few times Para had passed out from battling her own multi-forms, or from pushing herself to the point of exhaustion, but normally when Para un-fused, Bra would be unconscious while Pan would just be extremely dazed and still able to get up and take care of her friend.

When she checked Pan's vitals, she felt almost surprised to see her friend with black hair. She hadn't seen Pan's black hair in months and she had almost forgotten that she wasn't a natural blonde. As she tossed the limp girl over her shoulder, she felt like she was hauling home the trophy of her first triumph. She thoroughly enjoyed the role-reversal. When she reached the living area, she tossed Pan down on her bed before victoriously retreating to her own. Bra stretched out and placed her hands behind her head.

_I did it. I finally won a fight with Pan! I wonder if that means I'm getting close to her in power level, or perhaps I just got lucky? I'll have to see if it ever happens again._

Bra proudly replayed the images of the fight in her mind, and she saw herself matching Pan's onslaught blow-for-blow for hours. (She didn't replay the parts that weren't so favourable to her ego.) They had been so caught up in the fight that they hadn't even fused that day, which was rare for them. Usually they fused as much as the time would allow them to. After 18 hours of constant sparring, Bra had finally landed a few decent kicks to Pan's head which caused her to lose her footing, and Bra had followed by slamming her down into the ground.

Bra had brought both hands to her chest, and curving her fingers she quickly she awkwardly formed an energy blast that she'd seen her father and brother do countless times, but had never really perfected herself. She had no idea whether it would have the desired effect, but it felt appropriate.

"GALICK GUN!" Bra had shouted as she fired the fuchsia-coloured beam at Pan's back.

Pan had turned, and hesitated in her surprise that Bra even knew this technique. Therefore, she hadn't noticed that Bra had put far too much energy into the attack for Pan to block quickly and without being fully powered up. Pan was engulfed by the deep pink wave as it exploded, and Bra had experienced a small amount of terror for a moment, thinking she had injured her friend too severely. Bra was not yet completely aware of her new power. She saw Pan collapse on the ground and lie there motionlessly, her saiyan armor badly damaged.

"Pan?" Bra had asked shakily as she landed on the ground beside her.

_I'm fine. Nice one!_ Pan had managed to think before fully slipping away. Then Bra had grinned and come up with the 'Goodnight Goldilocks' line as Pan's hair changed colour. _I'm getting better at this_, Bra congratulated herself.

_In truth, I probably couldn't have defeated her if she weren't already tired at the start of our match. I know she was training all night on her own in multi-form. Oh well, a victory is a victory and I will take it. Maybe I'll even be confident enough to spar with the guys after this. Probably not. But Pan isn't going easy on me, is she? The guys definitely would take it easy on me. Heck, I can probably beat them more surely than I can beat her since they will never take me seriously!_

Now Bra tried to get comfortable on the bed, tossing and turning. She regretted that Pan wasn't awake for her to complain to about how she much she missed her king-sized orthopedic mattress. Pan would normally ridicule her and call her a baby, but Bra would smile as she heard Pan's thoughts agreeing with her.

Bra began to nod off to sleep. As she hovered between awareness and the free reign of dreams, sleepy thoughts and whimsical imagery played across her mind. She could hear the roar of the stormy ocean waves crashing against the cliffs just outside the window of her house. She felt her designer duvet shift against her shoulders. She suddenly felt very sure that Goten had crawled into bed next to her, and she inched over to snuggle closer to his warmth.

_Get some rest, my angel. We have a long day tomorrow._

Bra smiled and reached her arms out to touch him, to feel the flesh and blood belonging to the ki signal she felt which she knew so well. When her fingers were supposed to connect with soft warmth they only met with emptiness instead. As her hands fumbled around for him her eyes fluttered half-open in surprise.

"Goten?" she whispered, wondering why his body wasn't where she felt his ki to be. Had she been imagining...

_Sweet dreams, Bra-chan. I love you._

Bra sat straight up in bed and gasped, "Goten!

"Where?" grumbled Pan softly from the other bed as she stirred out of her blackout.

Bra looked over at her friend in surprise, disoriented from the conviction that Goten had been here, close enough to touch and taste... she had felt his presence, she had heard him. Bra felt an immense sense of loss.

"Oh... it's nothing, Pan. Just a dream or hallucination or something," Bra sighed as she looked at her friend's dark hair on the pillow, "I guess I thought you were him for a second."

Pan raised her arm and sniffed under it, "But I showered."

"Ha," muttered Bra as she snuggled back down under the blankets. She couldn't describe what she'd just felt, but it had her shaken up. She sniffled quietly. _Goten, where are you right now?_

Pan groaned and sat up to check out the damage on her body from Bra's ki blast. It was minimal; she wouldn't need to use the capsulated regeneration tank this time. She was so proud of her friend, but she wouldn't show it or mention it. She tried not to think it too, knowing that Bra's telepathy made nothing private. If Bra knew how proud Pan was, maybe she'd stop pushing herself so hard. Pan found that she understood Vegeta's training methods more and more with each passing day.

Pan glanced over at Bra and noticed her fast asleep with trails of dried tears on her cheeks. Bra cried almost every night. Maybe emotionally this whole experience was a bit too much for her. At the very least, Bra had finally gotten used to remaining in Super Saiyan while sleeping, and Pan was very pleased to see that Bra hadn't dropped out of the transformation like she normally did. For the first time since they'd entered the chamber, Pan could say that fighting Bra had been almost as challenging as fighting one of her own multi-forms. (Which she still snuck off in the middle of the night to do about three times a week.) It was heartening, and she hoped that soon Bra would be an even greater challenge.

Pan hugged her arms around herself, turning to gaze out at the barren perpetuity of whiteness. It was too much for anyone. Pan felt her stomach growl in hunger, but she didn't want to move just yet. She was too exhausted. Her muscles ached and she longed to soak in a hot bath for some relief. She was just too tired to move.

She lay back down and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. Thoughts of all manner ran through her mind, keeping her from the rest her body dearly needed. She reached out to grab the calendar which she had near her bed. She hadn't crossed off the days in a while, but by her estimation, it was Thursday... she looked at the date and frowned.

Of course. It was her birthday.

She had been so caught up in her training, that she hadn't noticed that today she had turned 27. It was impossible for her to keep the memories of her previous birthdays out of her mind. Trunks always _always_ made her breakfast in bed on her birthdays, and had always followed with plenty of other impressive gifts and surprises during the day. She wished she hadn't looked at the calendar. She grabbed her pillow and squeezed it, ignoring the pain in her sore arms.

_It's getting so lonely inside this bed  
Don't know if I should lick my wounds or say 'woe is me' instead  
And there's an aching inside my head  
It's telling me I'm better off alone  
_

She rolled over to the left corner of the bed, shifting her body until she felt a slight bump beneath her. She had buried the ring under the mattress, and when she lay in certain positions she felt its impression. Like in _The Princess and the Pea_, she was absolutely certain that she would be able to feel the lump of that jewel through a hundred mattresses. Sometimes feeling the bump elicited a feeling of comfort, sometimes one of distress. But it was her only physical link to him at the moment. A link to the love she'd once felt, the person she'd once been, and to the outside world.

Part of her knew that keeping the ring under her mattress wasn't too different from wearing it... but it was still symbolically very different. Although she'd affirmed her own independence in taking it off when she reached Super Saiyan 2, she still kept it close to her at night. It still meant something to her that he had once cared. She still found some relief in the roughly-15-carat assurance of the dwindling connection she had once shared with him.

She curled her hands up under her chin and thought about how challenging it was to need to hate the one you loved. To need the one you hated to love. Her mind drifted back to where she was exactly a year ago on this day.

_But after midnight morning will come  
And the day will see if you will get some_

_Pan was leaving the hospital late: late as in she'd worked all night and the sun was now rising. She had taken a shower in the staff area and used her ki to quickly dry herself off before putting her street clothes back on. Now clad in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved blouse, she deliberated between driving and flying home. Deciding that she didn't have the patience for the roads right now and preferred the empty skies, she took the elevator to the roof of the hospital, swiping her card to access the helipad. What she saw disappointed her. An aircraft was landing on the launch pad. She couldn't fly away from the roof, because there was a chance that the pilot or passengers would notice her flying. _

_She moved to return to the elevator, but as she reached out to press the button a hand clamped over her mouth firmly. She was pulled roughly against a man's body and she felt an arm fasten firmly around her waist. _

"_Now listen here, miss. If you do exactly what I say then I won't have to hurt you."_

_Pan paused. Her lips slowly turned up into a sadistic smirk underneath the tight grip of his hand. She rolled her eyes, even though her attacker couldn't see it, and nodded. _

_She felt his hand slip away from her mouth, but it fell down to her chin and gripped her firmly as his lips descended to her ear and whispered in a husky tone. _

"_Good girl. I'm kidnapping you and taking you far away from here, got it? Get on my plane. We're going for a little trip, just you and me."_

"_Oh, but sir! Please!" Pan answered in a mockingly scared girlish tone, "I'm supposed to meet my boyfriend tonight. He's really big and strong, and once he finds out I'm missing, he's going to come looking for me!"_

"_I'm going to make you forget all about your boyfriend, little girl. I'll make you feel pleasures that he could never show you. I'm going to throw you down and ravish you like a pirate..."_

"_A PIRATE?" snorted Pan, with a burst of uncontrollable laughter. _

"_Or... uh. Uh. A fireman?"_

_She promptly swivelled and tackled her attacker to the floor, "Trunks, you goof. How did you conceal your ki to sneak up on me?"_

"_Bra added some modifications to my plane so that it conceals ki," he answered, smiling up at her, "Happy Birthday, Pan! Ready for your surprise?"_

"_You mean being attacked by an old pedophile wasn't my surprise?" she asked sweetly. _

"_Why, you little!" he rolled her over and began to tickle her, "You're not getting away with that, not even on your birthday. Now tell me what I want to hear. Say it! Say it!"_

_She laughed and gasped, flailing to avoid his attacking fingers, "Never!"_

"_Pan, I swear I will go Super Saiyan and tickle you on the rooftop of this hospital until you beg for mercy unless you tell me what I want to hear right this instant. Three. Words. Three simple words!" he demanded, all the while tickling ruthlessly in the spots that he knew she was most sensitive: right above her hipbones. _

"_Alright!" she gasped as her flailing caused a small dent in the roof, "You're not old! You're not old!" _

"_That's better," said Trunks, kissing her gently, "Shall we go?"_

_She kissed him back happily. She could think of no better feeling than kissing her boyfriend after a long day at work. The cute little role-play wasn't so bad either! _

"_Where are we going?" she asked. _

"_It's a surprise," he answered, helping her up and walking over to the plane. _

"_Trunks, if it's over five thousand miles away I want to fly the old-fashioned way."_

"_But..."_

"_No, buts! I'm not spending ten hours on a flight that can take ten minutes!"_

_He looked up at the sky and huffed, "Dende, why do women have to be so difficult?"_

"_Dende has no women on his home planet, he wouldn't know," said Pan as she capsulated Trunks' airplane and handed it to him, "Which way, kidnapper?"_

_Trunks smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist again tightly, scooping her up and blasting off into the air, "It's a secret!"_

"_I can fly too, it will be faster," she argued. _

"_Not on your birthday. You have to relax and let me take care of you."_

_Pan smiled. As much as she liked to assert her own strength and independence, and as much as she liked to reinforce the fact that she didn't desperately depend on Trunks in any way: financially, physically, or emotionally... she still liked to be taken care of. What girl didn't, deep down? _

_Regardless, it was in her nature to protest, "But I like flying on my own, Trunks."_

"_If you won't fly Capsule Corp. then you'll just have to fly 'Trunks Airlines' first class instead."_

_She couldn't resist any longer and she fully relaxed into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Does that mean I get the seats with the leg room?"_

"_No, you get the seat with your legs pressed up against the hunky captain."_

"_I guess that will have to do. Did you just call yourself... never mind," she murmured. She looked over his shoulder as the rising sun disappeared below the horizon as they flew toward the west. It was as though Trunks was reversing time for her, and they were flying backwards into the night so that they could spend it together. _

_In a way, he was really reversing time as they quickly swallowed up time zone after time zone. When the sun had fully disappeared, and the night became dark, Pan rested her head on his shoulder. _

_They say that girl, you know, she acts too tough, tough, tough  
Well, it's till I turn off the light, turn off the light  
They say that girl, you know, she acts so rough, rough, rough  
Well, it's till I turn off the light, turn off the light  
And I say follow me, follow me, follow me down, down, down, down  
Till' you see all my dreams  
Not everything in this magical world is quite what it seems_

"_Panny, falling asleep already?" he teased softly._

"_No," she denied, snapping her eyes open abruptly. She smiled through her sleepiness and said the first intelligible thing which came to mind, "How your day at work yesterday?"_

"_I fired three incompetent engineers. Two out of three cried, one begged on his knees."_

"_Yikes."_

"_I also promoted half a dozen guys who really deserved it. Your dad helped me pick them out."_

_Pan smiled against Trunks' collarbone. She nuzzled her face into his neck, "Does papa know where you're taking me?"_

"_Of course. You don't think I'd kidnap you without asking your father's permission first?"_

"_Oh, my sweet Trunks. Always the perfect gentleman," she whispered against his neck. Before another minute could pass she'd fallen asleep again. Trunks smiled as he felt the drop in her ki, and the limpness in her body. _

She must really trust me_, he thought to himself, _if she can allow herself to fall asleep while I'm holding her so far off the ground like this. Of course she does. We've been through so much together. But Pan never trusts anyone, so this still means something special. Regardless of the fact that even if I dropped her she'd probably wake up before she hit the ground, and even if she did hit the ground she probably would be barely scratched... it's still special.

_Trunks stared at the horizon ahead and saw a little glow of light._

"_Panny, you're going to miss the moonrise," he whispered. _

_She stirred awake again and looked in the direction he was flying. She smiled, "It's not a moonrise if it's caused by flying toward the moon, silly. Technically for all the people who live around here, it's a moonset."_

"_Things are different for us," he said simply, "They always have been. We've seen the earthrise and earthset. Creating a moonrise is a small feat for us!"_

_Pan nodded, staring at the soft amber glow of the moon as it rose steadily into the sky with Trunks' flying. The sight of the moon was still beautiful to her. Regardless of whether its effect was less than it would have on a full saiyan or on a saiyan with a tail... Pan still treasured the sight of the moon and it still gave her thrilling tingles inside. _

It is kind of like he turned back time and gave me the moon for my birthday_, she thought whimsically to herself._

_They had such power in their bodies, to be able to change whether they stood in night or day within a few seconds of flight. Trunks could be flying a lot faster, but he was using a leisurely pace to enjoy the scenery of the electrically illuminated cities and the naturally luminous night sky. _

I looked above the other day  
'Cause I think I'm good and ready for a change  
I live my life by the moon  
If it's high play it low, if it's harvest go slow and if it's full, then go  
But after midnight morning will come  
And the day will see if you're gonna get some

_Trunks stared at the brightly lit towns below, looking for the one he'd chosen._

"_We're here!" said Trunks, as he descended. _

_Pan had been distracted by the celestial geographies, but now she turned her eyes to the land below. _

"_I see... the Alps," she mused, "Could we be in Switzerland?"_

"_How did you guess?" he asked._

"_We were in France last month," she explained, "I kind of remember the layout of the land. Although it looks different at night."_

"_I've booked us a room at the __Gstaad Palace__, right in the mountains. It's beautiful. I know you'll love it."_

"_You never settle for second best," said Pan, laughing. Trunks had flown to the doorstep of the hotel in seconds, and they went to check in to their suite. When they arrived at the room, Pan immediately ran to the balcony and placed her arms on the railing. She leaned forward and gazed at the moon hovering just over the dark outline of the Alps._

_Trunks came up behind her, combing his fingers through her hair gently before placing his hands on her shoulders. She leaned back against him, savouring the perfect moment. The beautiful moon, the beautiful mountains, her beautiful man. _

"_Do you like it?" he asked. She closed her eyes at the sound of his rich masculine voice. It blended in perfectly with the howl of the wind, and the flapping of the silk curtains. _

_Even so, there was something she didn't recognize in his voice. His voice was the one which was most familiar to her, next to her own. Yet sometimes she was still surprised by a lilt or a tone. What was it that she heard which she didn't understand?_

I'm searching for things that I just cannot see  
Why don't you, don't you, don't you come and be with me  
I pretend to be cool with me, want to believe  
That I can do it on my own without my heart on my sleeve  
I'm running, I'm running, catch up with me life  
Where is the love that I'm looking to find?  
It's all in me, can't you see, why can't you, why can't you see?  
It's all in me.

_Pan turned around in his arms and looked up at him with excitement, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"_

_Trunks laughed at her enthusiasm, "That's a pretty large claim coming from a girl who's seen a nice little chunk of the universe."_

_Pan stood on her tippy-toes to place a kiss at the side of his mouth, "Really, Trunks. The room, the view... it's all beyond breathtaking. I know you probably planned it so we'd be here at exactly this moment. But you don't have to take me to a palace in Switzerland to make me happy... I would be happy _anywhere_ as long as you're there with me."_

"_Really? Anywhere?" he asked gruffly, moving his body very close to hers. _

"_Yes," she whispered, placing her hands against his chest, "And I'd follow you anywhere, to the ends of the earth and beyond. You know that."_

"_Well, my dear Pan-chan," he said in a serious tone, taking both of her hands in his and pulling them gently as he walked backwards, "Right now I demand that you follow me to bed."_

Where is your logic?  
Who do you need?  
Where can you turn in your delicate time of need?  
Follow me down, follow me down, down, down,  
I do not need... I do not need nobody  
Where is your logic?  
Who do you need?  
Where can you turn in your delicate time of need?

Pan smiled sadly at the memory. It was so unbearably wonderful. It ached, remembering his touch as though it had been yesterday. His every breath, the feel of his heart beating against her, it all lingered as though she had been in his arms mere moments ago.

Was it worth all the indignity and pain to be with him for those moments of sublime happiness? Maybe. Yes.

Was it worth killing for?

Maybe. No.

Unbidden, visuals of the redheaded woman Trunks had been with came to Pan. She could see the woman's face, the look of fear in her eyes.

She heard the cry that erupted from the woman before she had been vaporized. By Pan's own hands.

Pan sighed and turned over in her bed, as she was sure she would be turning over in her grave for centuries due to that image. She hadn't been raised to cause destruction—she had been brought up to prevent it. Her love for Trunks had been so powerful that it had consumed her and turned her into someone she didn't even know. Someone she had never thought she could stoop so low to become.

Yet she still wanted nothing more than to be in his arms.

* * *

_**Earth, 4 PM**_

* * *

Trunks had grown tired of pacing a hole into his bedroom floor.

When the Australian ambassador called and asked him if he wanted to meet at the racetrack to "play the ponies" he had agreed. Anything to occupy his mind. Capsule Corp. did a lot of business with Australia, and Trunks had established a pleasant working relationship with the man. They would go for drinks every time Albert was in town, and the ambassador was always impressed with Trunks' tolerance for alcohol. Albert would always tell the stories to his friends and family back home and to corporate executives worldwide, that he had never met a man on Earth who could handle his alcohol the way Trunks Briefs could.

"It's not like I have anything better to do anyway," Trunks had muttered to himself, thinking, _not until tomorrow. I hope._

At the racetrack, the men had been taken to the preparation area to meet the horses and their riders. Trunks feigned casual interest in the greetings, and sized up the animals. He felt the ki of the horses, and found that one horse had a disproportionately higher ki in comparison to the rest. He mused inwardly that he was almost positive that horse would win.

When Albert placed his bet, he asked Trunks for his opinion. Trunks had answered, "I'm almost positive that number Twenty-Three will take it."

"No way!" exclaimed Albert, "'Deceiving Temptress?' That horse has never won, and it injured its leg a year ago. Haven't you read the bios? The odds are stacked against it. There's a reason that they're paying out 20 to 1 if that horse wins."

Albert had laughed at Trunks who smiled and decided to place a bet in rebellion. Moving to the window he pulled out his wallet, "I'll put fifty grand on 'Deceiving Temptress,' please."

The attendant had looked at him blankly, "Sir... uh, that's a pretty high wager."

"I'm a very rich man."

Albert's mouth had dropped open, "Are you serious? You're insane!"

"I have a good feeling about this," said Trunks with a shrug, "And if I were you I'd bet on 'Deceiving Temptress' too."

Albert had shaken his head and reached for his wallet again, "I'll put five thousand on that horse. For amusement's sake."

Trunks nodded, feeling his initially very low interest in the race rise a few infinitesimal degrees now that he had a tiny stake in it, "Come on, Albert. Let's see if my instincts are correct."

"The odds are 20 to 1 that you've been 'deceived' by that horse, Mr. Big-Shot CEO."

"Maybe."

The men sat in the luxurious VIP area to watch the race. Albert chattered on and on in a friendly manner while Trunks nodded and made the appropriate surprised or approving noises. All the while he tried to schmooze the foreign diplomat his mind was elsewhere. In another time dimension, to be precise.

Eventually, the race began and the horses thundered by them. The people in the audience rose to their feet in excitement, shouting at the top of their lungs and throwing various items into the air.

Trunks closed his eyes and concentrated on the ki signals of the horses. He still could feel that the energy of 'Deceiving Temptress' was higher, and he continued to feel her energy as she pulled away from the other horses and into the lead. When the race finished his eyes were still closed.

"You weren't even looking!" accused the ambassador, "You won, man! I don't know how you did it, but you just won a million dollars! As if you weren't rich enough."

Trunks opened his eyes and forced a smile onto his face, "Really? Wow. It was a lucky guess."

"I should have taken your advice and bet my life savings on that damned horse," grumbled Albert. Trunks nodded numbly, and the two men moved slowly through the crowds to collect their winnings. Everyone around was groaning and complaining about the fact that the favourites hadn't won, and about how ripped-off they felt. Trunks barely noticed.

Not even winning a million dollars could make Trunks really feel happy or distracted from his troubles. For the man who has everything tends to desire the one thing he cannot have. The one thing that no amount of money can buy: the trust of the woman he'd betrayed.

* * *

_**"Through each of your bodies flows the blood of a warrior who brought truth to impossibility. You two... will do... the same!" (Piccolo to Goten and Trunks as they prepare to fuse again - Episode: Unlikely Friendship)**_

* * *

_**Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Sixth Month**_

* * *

Para was finally at the brink. She was finally at the threshold of the goal which had fuelled her every thought, her every movement since she had first stepped into the void of pure white nothingness.

_Any moment now, I will manage it. I'll be the first woman to do this. _

She focused on the image of Goku in her mind. His voice came to her. _The power comes from a need, not a desire. You have to create that need. Use the pain of loss._

Para tried to remember all the times in her past when her friends and family had been in danger. She remembered when she had been helpless to defend them. She had meditated for countless hours in the past weeks; she had trained harder than ever before. Her mind and body were ready for this. She just needed to create the emotional revolution.

She remembered a dinner at her grandmother's house. A wonderful dinner, with her grandmother's wonderful cooking and the Briefs over to celebrate the year since their victory over Baby. Everyone was there except for Goten (who was on a date with Paris) and Vegeta (who was out shopping)—but regardless, everyone was there who intended to be there _except Trunks_, and she had felt anxious butterflies inside as she waited for his arrival.

_The doorbell rang. _

"_It's him! I'll get the door!" Pan had shouted, hoping that her excitement came across as fifteen-year-old's youthful enthusiasm to see a good friend and nothing more._

_When she ran to the door she began to greet him before she ripped it open, "What took you so long..."_

_Her sentence was interrupted as her breath caught in her throat with a fearful gasp. Trunks was injured, and his usual proud posture was replaced by an injured body hunched over in pain like a decrepit cripple. There were bruises on every visible inch of him._

"_Pan... help me..."_

"_Trunks, what happened?" she asked frantically_

"_It was... Android 17..." _

_This was all he managed before he collapsed on top of her, and Pan, not expecting this, tried to hold him upright but instead fell to the ground. She remembered thinking for a moment, as the entire weight of his body rested on top of her, that he was dead. That was before she felt the smallest pulse of ki in his body. _

Para now focused on that feeling, the feeling of believing Trunks had been killed. She focused on remembering how powerful Super Android 17 had been, and how useless she had been against him.

_"I can take him, I know I can," Pan had muttered to herself in denial as she watched Vegeta get the life beaten out of him. Vegeta could no longer maintain the transformation of Super Saiyan, and he was inches away from death. Pan could feel his ki waning with every blow and she couldn't watch any longer. She knew she was the last line of defence, and she must do anything to keep him from being killed. Even if it meant sacrificing her own life._

_"Who would have thought the Prince of all Saiyans would fight like such an amateur?" remarked Dr. Myuu in a mockingly superior way, "It's downright embarrassing to watch."_

_Dr. Gero only laughed and turned to their joint creation, "Now then. It's time to end this comedy show for good. Put the fool to sleep for good, my loyal Android."_

_Super Android 17 charged up a blow that Pan knew would finish Vegeta. It was now or never, she had to act. But how? She didn't think she could block that blow. Maybe if she could catch the Android by surprise..._

_"He's paralyzed my body," gasped Vegeta from where he lay on the ground, "What's wrong with me today? Surely I have more power left than this."_

_"Now now, don't criticize yourself like that, Vegeta," cackled Dr. Myuu, "You tried your best and that's what's important."_

Vegeta! NO!_ Pan thought, seized by fear. Then it came to her. She couldn't hurt the Android, but she could surely take on the weak scientists controlling him. _

_Pan flew to Dr. Gero and delivered a mighty kick to his head, before capturing him in a powerful grip._

_"Tell that Android to stop attacking right now," she growled. She would NOT let Vegeta die._

_"Why you little brat!" yelled Dr. Gero in annoyance._

_Pan tightened her chokehold on the demented doctor, "I've heard every word you've said, including the orders to kill Vegeta. If you don't tell Super Android 17 to stop attacking right now I'LL MAKE YOU WISH YOU WERE BACK IN HELL!"_

_"Stop messing around, little girl. Why don't you go find some dolls to play with before you get yourself hurt."_

"DOLLS!" shouted Para, "YES, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL I'M GOOD FOR! THAT'S ALL I CAN REALLY DO! PLAY WITH FUCKING DOLLS!"

Para threw her head back and screamed. She screamed so much that flames erupted from her body and engulfed the Time Chamber for miles around.

She briefly remembered the perverted incident where she'd been turned INTO a doll, but she pushed that away from her memory as fast as it came. _I only want to reach Super Saiyan 3. If I think about that creep Dolltaki I will skip a few levels and become Super Saiyan 8 and my body will explode. Let's focus, Para. Think about Baby._

She simultaneously remembered what it was like to be surrounded by all of her friends and family controlled by Baby, everyone against her, and she remembered what it was like to _be_ controlled by Baby as Bra. The dual understandings permeated her with dread as she focused on the memory. She remembered losing her reason in passionate fury and attacking Baby with all she had. She remembered watching her grandfather being beaten to a bloody pulp, feeling his energy decrease until he could barely stand. Watching Baby advance on him.

She remembered the dire moment of thinking she would lose her Grandpa Goku, while her other grandfather, Hercule Satan tried feebly to restrain her from entering the battle.

"_Pan, are you crazy? That beast will kill you in a second!" shouted Hercule. _

"_I DON'T CARE! Let go of me! If Grandpa dies, what's the point of living?" Tears began to cascade down her cheeks as she ripped herself away from Hercule._

_As Baby was about to deliver a finishing blow to the weakened Goku, Pan flew to intercept the blow, holding her arms out to either side, blocking her grandfather with her own body._

"_STOP!" Pan had screamed out, her head tilted downwards with her bangs covering her eyes. She knew that she was asking for it. She was signing the dotted line on her own death-wish._

"_PAN!" Goku screamed, "Get out of there!"_

"_And do what Grandpa? Watch you die?" she had asked sardonically, almost laughing through her tears, "I can't. No, I refuse."_

_She turned her attention back to the giant monster, "I don't understand why you're doing this, Baby. It's not right. My dad never hurt you, or my mom! My family and friends weren't the cause of your planet being destroyed. It was the saiyans! Not us. I WON'T LET YOU HURT MY GRANDPA!"_

"_And just how are you going to stop me? You silly little insect."_

"_I can't stand what you are, Baby! All you do is HATE, and HURT! You took my parents away from me, AND I WANT THEM BACK!"_

_Pan powered up as much as she could and attacked for all she was worth, firing directly into Baby's face. _

"_HYAHHHH! HYAHHHHH! HYAHHHHHHHH! HYAAAAHHHHH!"_

Para relived the memory, feeling her own body powering up just as Pan had then, in a more powerful variation of her _Maiden's Rage_ attack. She'd done all that a fourteen-year-old girl could possibly do against the most terrible parasite in the universe hijacking Vegeta's already immensely powerful body, and using Bulma's technology to amplify his power. The ki blasts came in an endless succession, fuelled from deep within her, and she had prayed to have an impact on the fight, prayed to blast his offensive head off.

But the villain had been unhurt, and he had easily swatted her away. Like an insect.

It had basically been a suicide mission. And it hadn't been enough. Everything she'd had was never enough. It had been pathetic. She had been pathetic and useless back then. The thought of how her strongest attack had barely fazed the beast, barely bought Goku a few extra seconds made Para even angrier.

It was Trunks who had finally come and attacked Baby with enough power to save Goku. For Pan's attacks had been exactly what Baby has said: those of a silly little insect.

"NO! I AM NOT AN INSECT!" shouted Para as she clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms. Blood ran down her fingers, dripping onto the white floor. Every muscle in her body strained until it was taut. Tears of blood streamed down her face from the pressure of building energy in the tender skin of her eye sockets.

"I WILL NOT BE PATHETIC FOR A MILISECOND LONGER!" Para screamed out at the top of her lungs, "I WILL NOT BE AN ORDINARY, WORTHLESS, WEAK, LITTLE GIRL!"

Lightning crackled around her as she brought forth the power from deep within her, "DO YOU HEAR ME GRANDPA? WHEREVER YOU ARE? DO YOU HEAR ME, PAPA?"

Para's intense level of concentration caused severe pain in her head. It felt like an avalanche of ice spikes in the brain and she clutched her head as she continued to push past the pain, shouting.

"YOU'VE NEVER ACCEPTED ME AS ONE OF YOU AND THAT CHANGES NOW! I AM NO LONGER LAUGHABLE! I AM TAKING MY PLACE AMONG YOU! I AM_ ALSO_ A DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE! I AM CAPABLE! I AM A VALUABLE MEMBER OF OUR TEAM!"

She fell to her knees, shaking with the intensity of the rapidly mushrooming power. Although she spoke to her family members, although she spoke of their "team" she knew that every single person on that "team" was a powerful individual who pushed himself to his own limits, and had once felt the same pain she now felt, and greater. Alone. They couldn't be a team without each man doing his best on his own. Suffering alone.

Completely forgetting that she was comprised of two women, Para felt the loneliness of being in the middle of a white ocean that stretched to eternity. She knew that she would only be able to accomplish this here, on her own. She had to prove herself _to herself_ first and foremost. Then she could protect her loved ones from the dangers which always came. Then she could keep them safe. She closed her eyes, seeing their faces and thinking of how much she loved them all.

The petty issues with Trunks and Goten disappeared as she saw them only through the eyes of pure love. It was simply overwhelming how much she loved them; the love of two kindred spirits combined and amplified.

She struggled to stand, and let out a defiant yell:

"I can't bring you back, Grandpa. BUT I _**WILL NOT**_ LOSE ANYONE ELSE!"

With that final thought she felt herself flooded, completely taken over by the power. She lost consciousness of herself as the ancestral saiyan potential became realized in every atom of every throbbing, yearning cell of her body.

She felt the change as though it had happened a thousand times before in dreams, she felt the bulge in her muscles as her heart rate increased to what must be at least four hundred beats per minute. She clutched her chest, feeling the power and pain in her heart as it struggled to keep up with the demands of this transformation. She then threw her arms back, thrusting her chest outward and gasped for air as her mind swam with the dizzying power.

After the lightning and billows of terrible black energy quit gushing around her, there was an incredible calm.

There she stood. Para had achieved Super Saiyan 3. Her eyebrows had disappeared and her spiky hair, having already been knee-length in her natural state, now lay pooled up in the ground, spiralling several times around like a snake coils up before striking.

"OH, YEAH! I feel it!" shouted Para, getting excited and unintentionally powering up further. She flew up into the sky, with energy emanating from her as she fisted the air and threw her head back in joy, "I FEEL IT! I AM HOT! I AM UNTOUCHABLE! I AM POWERF—"

Her arrogant rant was interrupted as her body split in two.

"—FUL," finished Pan and Bra in unison as they both fell out of the sky and hit the ground with thuds. They were both still Super Saiyan, Pan was in the second level. Pan laid limply for a moment, her whole body on fire and feeling as though she'd been electrocuted with the highest voltage possible.

"Ow," she muttered. She was surprised: the fusion had ended quicker than ever before.

Pan heard a strange sound and looked over to see Bra curled up into a ball, crying, sobbing, and scratching her skin everywhere, leaving red welts in the wake of her nails. The girl screamed as she convulsed on the floor.

Pan's eyes widened: she was in much better shape than Bra was. Although her head ached and her body ached, she could handle the pain and the energy output much more than her friend, it seemed.

"PAN!" bellowed Bra as her body shook in violent spasms, completely out of control. Tears streamed down her face as she trembled and Pan rushed over to her, pinning her down to the ground firmly.

"Calm down, Bra. Calm down!" Pan spoke evenly, even though her own breathing and heart rate were anything but even, "Let the power go. Release the power. Send it back to where it came from."

"It came from YOU!" she sobbed, "This much power isn't meant to be in my body. Dende, Pan, what have you done to me? I can't handle this level! "

Pan felt a wave of guilt but she shook her head, "No, the power came from both of us. I couldn't have done that without you. You're stronger than you think, Bra-chan."

"The emotions! The anger! The rage! The memories!" Bra shrieked as she shuddered, "It's all you! I felt it all... Dende, it was so powerful and profound and awful! I was there fighting Baby, I was all alone... I saw my dad being beaten by Super 17 and Omega Shenron. I wasn't even there for those battles! Pan, it was you! Those were YOUR memories!"

Pan bit her lip, "Yes. Most of them were mine."

"I never wanted to see those things. The Android was killing my daddy... Dende, he was hurt so badly! Did that really happen? Yes, that couldn't be your imagination, those were MEMORIES! Oh, daddy... No! No! I can't..."

Bra scratched her nails along her forehead and over her eyes and Pan restrained her hands. Pan felt vast remorse at the pain she had caused her friend.

"Shhhh, Bra. It's OK. Release the power. Relax!"

Pan used every ounce of her remaining strength to restrain her friend. Bra tried to focus and do as Pan said, and her body finally began to calm down. As Bra's energy drained, the black pupils returned to her eyes and her hair returned to its natural silky-soft blue.

"Good, see? You're OK. It's over," Pan smiled and released her friend from the restraining hold, "You're very strong, Bra. Very!"

"I'm not," she sobbed, "Dende knows I'm not strong. What am I doing here? I can't do this."

"How can you say you're not strong after what we just did?"

"I just feed off your strength when we're fused, Pan. On my own I'm nothing. I've never fought in a real battle before, you know that. I couldn't even watch my dad being hurt like that. With Omega Shenron... everyone was there. Daddy, my brother, even _my mother_... and I wasn't there! Did you ever wonder why I wasn't there?"

Pan's eyes widened in realization, "The emotions Para felt weren't all mine. They were yours too. You were reacting to my memories of the battles, you were reacting to seeing your father hurt, and you wanted to help him. It was like we were right there..."

Bra closed her eyes and silently cried, and Pan pulled her friend into a sitting position and hugged her.

"They kept me away from the battlefield for a reason you know," said Bra, "I'm not a warrior. I can't deal with this."

"You _are_ a warrior. You have no idea how much you've improved in such a short time! I am so proud of you. You're doing great. I'm learning from you too, Bra. You're teaching me how to be a better fighter."

"How could_ I_ teach _you_?" Bra asked incredulously, as she buried her face in her friend's shoulder, leaning on her for strength, "I'm terrible at this. Please, Pan. Let's never do this again!"

Pan stiffened then. She swallowed and spoke slowly, "We need to. I need you to do this with me."

"I can't!" said Bra as she hugged Pan tightly, "Please, Pan, please don't ever make me do that again."

"Listen to me," said Pan through her clenched jaw, "Trunks and Goten could handle this transformation when they were _children_. If they can do it, so can we. We have the same saiyan blood, the same saiyan bodies."

"They _needed _to do it to defeat Buu! We don't need to. I need to be Super Saiyan 3 as much as I need a bellybutton piercing! I kind of want one, but it's unnecessary. Stop being greedy, Pan, and just be satisfied with what we've achieved already. Enough is enough."

Pan ripped herself away from Bra and stood up angrily, "I need to be Super Saiyan 3 as much as I need to _breathe_. Now that I've tasted it, I will break my neck to get there again and to master the transformation _with or without you_. Then, once I'm there, I'll try to achieve more! This is who I am, and this is what I live for. What else is there for me to live for now, Bra? Tell me that."

Pan looked at her friend with a flash of desperate wrath in her eyes, "This is _all I have_. This is everything to me. For the first time in years I feel like myself again. I'm not constantly hunched over books and dying bodies 24/7, I'm not performing some easy surgery that millions of other doctors across the planet could do with their eyes closed. I'm achieving a level of strength that perhaps no other woman in the history of the universe has _EVER_ achieved. I'm doing what my grandfather would have wanted me to do; I'm respecting his memory. And tell me, what is there in my life which could be more important than that?"

"Pan," said Bra, her face falling into her hands flaccidly, "Forgive me. Please forgive me, but I can't do that again."

Pan stared at the girl on the floor with contempt and disappointment.

"Why did you even come here with me? You're nothing."

Pan regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth, but she turned and walked away nonetheless. Only when she started walking did she realize how much energy she'd lost, and how weak she was. Bra was in worse shape, and she was just leaving her there. She wouldn't be able to move. There was a pained expression on Pan's face which Bra couldn't see. Pan knew how much her words had hurt her friend. She could feel it. And she hadn't meant those words at all.

Even if Bra had chosen never to train, Pan would still have loved her and considered her her best friend. Bra was intelligent, almost as genius as her mother. She was creative and curious, and had an amazing sense of humour. Through thick and thin, from the time they were little girls, Bra had been there for her. When Pan competed in the World's Martial Arts Tournament as a toddler, Bra might not have trained with her, but she had encouraged her every day, and cheered her on with all of the ruckus her little lungs could muster.

Training wasn't everything. Bra was amazing in a million ways which didn't even have to include training. But Pan simply HATED how Bra half-assed her training. She didn't really have to work quite as hard as Pan did to achieve the same power, yet she still had chosen to slack off for most of her life.

Pan's anger and impatience had finally reached the breaking point. She had never trained before with anyone weaker than she. She was used to training with the men, to having them push her to her mental and physical thresholds. Vegeta was incredible to train with, even Trunks and Goten had their strong points. Goku had been a font of knowledge and creativity and passion for fighting. Now she had to push herself, and drag Bra along with her it seemed. Worst of all, she had certainly never depended on anyone as much as she depended on Bra to complete the fusion. This made her angry at herself. She didn't want to depend on someone weaker, someone who could just give up like this.

She could only hope that Bra depended on Para as much as she did, and that she would decide to try Super Saiyan 3 again before their time in the chamber was up. If not... well it was almost impossible to achieve it on her own, but Pan would try anyway. It wouldn't be the first time that she, like all the saiyan men she knew, had brought truth to impossibility.

* * *

I dedicate this chapter to my ex-best friend Christine. You bitch. You never want to do anything remotely adventurous with me. Who chooses safety over ultimate power? Oh, yeah. YOU DO.

Anyway, there's no way you can put two females alone in a room for a year and not have them get into some sort of disagreement. I'm trying to be realistic here!

Once, I read a T/P fic where Pan couldn't open a jar of pickles and needed Trunks' help. That. Made. Me. Angry.

I know, Pan being frozen solid in ice for several minutes and living wasn't realistic... but it has happened to Goku how many times? If he can take it, so can she.

Please review and let me know you're there! I'm writing this just for YOU all and I _love_ those who are kind enough to give me a few words in return. =)


	10. Anyone But You

_Chapter Ten: Anyone But You_

Thank you once more to **Anmylica** for reviewing parts of this chapter and adding some of her own very amazing lines to the climactic scene! She makes me more and more excited about this story.

If you want to come chat with other readers, feel free to join our Facebook group: Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak. In the event that I need to take this story off this website, all the chapters and reviews will be saved there. =)

~PanHopeNvs

* * *

_**Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Seventh Month  
**_

* * *

It was hard to stay angry at someone when you were all alone with them and there was no other biological being, human or otherwise in the realm. It was especially hard when that person was basically the only female friend you'd ever had since your birth. Yet it was much easier than you might expect when that person was keeping you from achieving and mastering the most powerful transformation you'd ever experienced.

There could be no greater rift between even the best of friends than for them to pull in such opposite directions. One desired to push past pain to strength, the other desired to feel secure and to avoid danger.

Bra had lounged on her bed with electronic literature for the stalemate weeks they hadn't been speaking to each other. Her mother had given her the data of all the findings of recent research at Capsule Corp. and some of the studies were quite interesting. When Bra could focus on them.

Pan had powered up to Super Saiyan 2, gone out into the white abyss and used the multi-form technique to beat herself silly. Her power was increasing massively with her newfound anger and determination, and as Bra tried to concentrate on the words on the screen she felt her attention drifting to the energy signals she felt coming from Pan. She felt jealous. Jealous of Pan fighting with Pan.

She wanted to feel the hormone rush of training. She even... wanted to feel the power of Super Saiyan 3 again. The hardest part was admitting that. Admitting that she'd been wrong, and afraid. Admitting that she'd clung to her human side desperately, not sure if she was ready to accept that primal, terrifying side of her she had fought so hard to repress since birth.

Most of all, she missed being Para. Not only was she going through training-withdrawal, but she also had to suffer through the fusion-withdrawal. It physically hurt! In addition to how much her pride stung after her breakdown and Pan's callous reaction. And there was Pan, widening the gap between their power levels which had finally begun to narrow. Using every second to attain more control and skill, and to leave Bra in the wake of her success again.

She almost hoped that Pan couldn't achieve the third level, because then she would no longer be needed. Every time she felt an unusual energy spike from Pan she freaked out and imagined Pan had gone Super Saiyan 3 without her.

Bra felt useless. She had tried to meditate or train on her own a few times, but she had been too embarrassed about performing techniques wrong. She needed Pan's guidance. She didn't want to need it, but she did.

She thought of Goten, and how he had said that the Time Chamber would be too much for her. She didn't want him to be right, but it felt like all she had done since she entered the room was prove him right. She knew that if she could push past her fears and let her body experience the power which was her birthright... well, she'd emerge from the room a completely different Bra than Goten had _ever_ known. She'd show him... she just had to.

Even though she knew that he hadn't left her because she hadn't been good enough, or because she'd done something wrong... she still felt a need to achieve successes that he could never have imagined, and to rub it in his face. And maybe... maybe if he saw that she wasn't just a spoiled princess, and that she was a saiyan warrior too... maybe he'd realize that they were meant to be together. But she would have to actually train to prove to herself that she was anything of a warrior. She hadn't managed to knock Pan unconscious again since her birthday, and she knew it had been somewhat of a fluke.

Bra would have liked to reassure herself that at least she was reading, and furthering her knowledge for her career. She was honoring the maternal side of her heritage, if not the more endangered and majestic parental side. She was gaining knowledge that would last her until she died while Pan was only working on conditioning a body that would deteriorate in a few decades anyway. But she knew this wasn't completely true.

Early on in their training, Bra had programmed the regeneration tank so that it would play audio-books to the person using it. Bra knew that Pan had listened to at least a full book a day while she recovered from her self-inflicted injuries. She didn't sleep in bed anymore, she only trained until she needed the regeneration tank—and Bra wasn't sure if it was because their beds were so close and Pan felt uncomfortable being around her, or because Pan was pushing herself so hard to reach the next level.

Bra's thoughts were interrupted as Pan walked into the living area, covered in her own blood. Her saiyan armor was completely destroyed, and one of her arms were hanging limply, clutched by the other. She walked wordlessly to the shower, and stepped in clothes and all, and turned it on with her good arm. When the warm water came she shakily sat down in the tub, pulling her knees up against her chest and resting her chin on them.

_It's just an arm. It'll be repaired shortly,_Pan thought to herself. _I deserve worse than this, I really do._

The sound of the water filling the tub echoed in the silence.

Pan wished for the fiftieth time that she had Bra's telepathy so that she could hear the sound of her friend's thinking if not her voice. They hadn't spoken in a week, and the silence was becoming maddening. It wouldn't have been so terrible if she had heard any other voices in that time, but there weren't many options.

She missed having someone to talk to. Even if the things they said to each other were often so stupid and silly... Pan even missed laughing over those dumb things. She hadn't laughed in a week. Pan suddenly wondered if Bra was listening to these thoughts. She frowned and tried to stop thinking them.

_Damn this arm, AGH! I shouldn't have trained her to get so powerful, but I never imagined she could use techniques against me. Kami, my arm hurts. I don't think giving her the silent treatment is going to work and make her want to try the next level with me if she can hear everything I'm thinking anyway. It's not really the silent kind of silent treatment. Kami, please KILL MY ARM. This telepathy thing makes her harder to manipulate than when we were younger. Oh, shit, I bet she heard that too. Just stop thinking so loudly, Pan. MY ARM. MY ARM. AGH._

Bra cracked a small smile, for she had been listening. She suddenly felt like breaking the ice.

She got up from the bed and walked over to Pan, sitting on the edge of the tub and looking down at her friend.

"You know, I've been thinking," Bra began.

Pan looked up, surprised to hear her voice. The first words in a week.

"What you said before, about the orgasms... if it felt like THAT when you were only Super Saiyan, imagine what it would be like to have an orgasm as Para in Super Saiyan 3!"

Pan stared at her friend for a moment and her lips twitched, "Yes, it would be amazing, except for one problem. There are no guys who can get near to Para when she's in that state."

"Except for..."

"Yes, but even if Trunks or Goten tried to be with her at their maximum levels they'd probably be crushed."

"Crushed," repeated Bra with a thoughtful smile.

Pan couldn't help it. She cracked up and began to laugh, using her good arm to splash Bra with the bloody water which was filling up in the bathtub.

Bra laughed too, and splashed her back, and just like that the icy silence was broken.

"Panny, I'm sorry. I was just afraid. But I think I'm ready to work on the transformation again."

"No, Bra, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say such mean things to you. I just snapped, you know?"

"I know. I have telepathy, remember? I heard you think 'Shit, why did I say those things?' immediately after you said them, and also think a bunch of nice things about me, and then think that you'd pretend to be mad at me for a while so maybe I'd cave and try Super Saiyan 3 again with you."

Pan hit herself on the head with the hand on her good arm, "Damn. I hate your telepathy. Listen, if you don't want to try Super Saiyan 3, I have to be understanding and respect that."

"I do want to try it. I just needed a little time. I won't freak out again, Pan. I promise."

"Good, because I think I will become a quadriplegic if I keep trying to transform on my own."

Bra grinned, "Here, let's get you into a regeneration tank for that arm."

* * *

_**Earth, 8 PM**_

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hi, Goten. I was just wondering... if you wanted to meet up and maybe... talk."

"Can we do it another time? I just... want to be by myself tonight."

"You don't sound too chipper, Goten. What's wrong?"

"I'm just... thinking, Trunks. Just tonight, I promise. Any other day, I'm all yours."

"You're not with Medea, or planning to meet with her today, are you?" asked Trunks.

"No. I was thinking of calling her tomorrow. I just... had some conflicting thoughts I needed to sort out, you know? Why do you ask? I thought you were going to focus your efforts on getting back together with Pan."

"I am. I just really needed someone to talk to. I was fired today."

"Say that again? I could swear I just heard you say you were fired, but I must be losing it."

"You heard right: I was fired," Trunks repeated through gritted teeth.

"Whoa..." said Goten, "Seriously? Well, maybe we should meet up..."

He sounded so reluctant that Trunks shook his head, "No... don't worry about it, man. I'll see you another time."

"Trunks... maybe I'll quit too, then. We can find different employment together."

"I appreciate the gesture, Goten, but you shouldn't. Your mom would throw a fit. We never see each other at work anyway, working in different departments in different wings of the building. You won't be affected by my absence. Besides, my mom said it's only temporary."

"Trunks, it's the principle of the thing. You're my best friend, and if Bulma doesn't want you at C.C. then why should I be there? I wish that my quitting was a bigger statement in your defence, but I'm expendable. My job is just generic desk work anyway, anyone can do it."

"That's not true, Goten. Mom and Gohan trust you with a lot of the 'confidential' stuff."

"Well, screw them. If they're going to fire you, I will also find something else."

Trunks opened his mouth to protest, but then he realized that Goten's words had made him feel the first tiny speck of happiness he'd felt in a while. Even with the world crashing down around him, Goten was still his friend. The younger man's defensive anger reminded Trunks of when they were kids and Goten would have done anything to protect him.

"Thanks, Goten. See you tomorrow."

"For sure, man. Goodnight."

Trunks felt a lot better, but he was still yearning to get a few things off his chest. He stared at his phone for a few minutes before dialling Medea's number.

The phone rang a few times before a message came on:

"_Hi, you've reached Medea. I'm not available now, but please leave a message and I'll return your call as soon as possible!"_

"Hi, Medea. This is Trunks. I just wanted to apologize for acting a bit strange during our date the other day. I was kind of hoping I'd get a chance to talk to you, but you're probably busy. Well, let me know if you have any spare time... oh, and that stupid thing I told you I was going to do? I did it. And I haven't been killed (yet) but I've been... fired. Which is basically the same thing. Call me back if you get a chance."

_**Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Eighth Month**_

Para gazed down at her hair with annoyance. She had finally mastered the transformation to Super Saiyan 3, but her hair was dragging on the floor and making training truly miserable.

"Maybe I can do something with that," Para murmured to herself, "Instead of letting it inhibit my fighting."

She held out her arm and smiled and flipped her head and the huge snakelike length of her hair, charged by her ki, wrapped perfectly around her wrist like a whip.

"Imagine that!" she laughed to herself as she channelled ki into her hair and used it to pelt the ground like a whip, "I've already found a unique benefit of being a _female_ Super Saiyan 3."

She used her ki to control her hair and wrapped it around her arm tightly from shoulder to wrist. She then squeezed, and the spiralling length of the spiky rope of energy constricted around her arm tightly. The spikes penetrated her arm and she began to bleed as the viper-vice almost crushed her arm. She felt the strain on her bones, even with the strength obtained by her power level. She immediately stopped constricting.

"That sure could come in handy!" she exclaimed with a laugh, as she used her energy to move her hair as though it were a fifth limb. She flew along the ground, using her energy to make her hair strike the ground repeatedly, and she was sure that the power of such bashing would deliver extreme damage to any enemy.

"Enough games, though," said Para, grinning wildly, "There's something I've ALWAYS wanted to try. Gogeta's most powerful attack."

She got into a firm battle stance and pulled her hands to her side, she closed her eyes as she found the power, and she executed the perfect form necessary. A bluish-white ball of energy began to grow, and it was so massive and so concentrated that ripple-like shockwaves of energy radiated off it. She braced herself, her body shaking, as she let out an ear-splitting yell.

"_**BIG BANG KAMEHAMEHA!"**_

She fired the blast into the nothingness and smiled in satisfied delight at the gigantic explosion which followed. She raised her hands to her lips and blew on them as one would blow the nozzle of a smoking gun.

"Now we're getting somewhere, Para Brieson," she said to herself confidently.

"Brieson" was the result of Para saying both her last names at the same time. She had discovered that it was her last name through talking to herself like this, and much to her delight, it actually was a real last name! She had vaguely wondered to herself whether the other fusions (they had also been between "Briefs" and "Sons") shared her last name. Gotenks Brieson? Gogeta Brieson? No one had ever really mentioned it. (Vegeta didn't really recognize the Briefs name although he had taken it on in order to get his driver's license.)

Then again, the men had never really spent any time living and training in the long-term while fused. They probably should have. It was not wise to only pull out fusion in times of desperate need—it was something that Para felt should be embraced just as any other technique. Techniques to split apart the body, techniques to fuse the body... they should all be considered part of the normal training arsenal of the Earth's Special Forces. Maybe someday Para could see to it that it was included.

She suddenly frowned. _If Gotenks has the same last name as I do... then in a way he's family. Does that mean that I'm more closely related to Gotenks genetically than I am to Trunks or Goten individually? How disappointing._

When Para fantasized about a man, which she sometimes did during the many half-hour sessions of gruelling training regimens, she usually fantasized about Gotenks. It was only natural, even though she had never actually laid eyes on Gotenks. He was the combination of her two lovers, just as she was the combination of his two lovers—could it be more perfect? She fantasized about him in every way—surpassing his power (which she liked to imagine she already had done since she'd trained extensively in Super Saiyan 3) and of course, being with him sexually.

Para knew that it would probably never happen. That was exactly why it was exciting to fantasize about. And even an immensely powerful Super Saiyan 3 woman has to have her unattainable fantasies. Being dominated by her immensely powerful Super Saiyan 3 lovers combined—well, that was simply her favourite. Just the thought of it made her ki spike up, sending a powerful surge of energy through her. She used her pent up sexual energy and channelled it into her strength as she trained.

When Para split apart, Pan often asked her friend, "Bra, maybe you could develop something to grow us tails so that we could reach the fourth level when fused?"

"HELL NO. I compromised on the Super-Saiyan-3-issue, but don't expect anything more!"

"Please, Bra. It would be so..."

"I am DEFINITELY not doing that, Pan! I CANNOT have a tail. Do you know how hard it would be for me to go shopping? Tails don't fit easily into today's fashions. I would need _everything_ custom made!"

* * *

_**Earth, 4 AM**_

* * *

Goten glanced at the time on the clock radio with disappointment. He knew it was time to leave Bra's bed, for she would be returning at any time. He didn't want to be caught doing this very questionable activity.

He also knew that it would be the last time he ever slept in this bed. The last time he could feel the comfort of her scent. It would be the last time he ever set foot in this house he had come to love, which he thought of as his home.

The realization came to him that he had done a lot more than break a relationship. He had broken his life, and broken a home. Bra had been his family, and he had destroyed that.

In leaving her, he caused her the same pain that his mother had experienced when his father left. He had caused himself the same pain.

Goten knew he should get up, but he buried his face in the pillow one last time, thinking to himself:

_Bra. I know that for you a whole year is passing in a single day... but I wish you knew that every day I spend without you feels like ten years to me._

He finally ripped himself away from the bed, and standing, he pulled his socks back on. He immediately straightened her bed out, fluffing the pillow perfectly and arranging the duvet so that it looked like he had never been there.

* * *

_**Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Twelfth Month**_

* * *

Para sat cross-legged on the ground in the third level of Super Saiyan, and opposite from her sat her multi-form twin. Both of her bodies were in deep meditation. Their watch beeped and snapped them out of the state.

"It's almost time for us to leave," said one Para to the other, "But there's a problem."

"I'm too strong," the second Para answered, "Now that the power levels of the Pan and Bra have raised so much, even with suppressed ki and even with the sedatives, any decent fighter could sense that I'm unusually powerful."

"It's over. We won't be able to continue with our plan, will we?"

"Maybe we can upgrade the sedatives. Nothing in the human hospitals will be sufficient, but maybe something in a veterinary hospital... tranquilizers used on elephants or dinosaurs should be enough!"

"That's... crazy. But it just might work. How would I legally obtain such things?"

"Can't. We'll have to steal them. Or make our own poisons. Ha! Isn't that funny? I won't just figuratively be poison, I will have actual poison in me at all times!"

"As long as it doesn't cause any long-term damage, I'm fine with it."

"You know what makes me—"

Para's two bodies split into four, into two Pans and two Bras.

"—sad?" finished the two Pans.

"What's that?" asked Bra as her multi-forms united into one. Pan's forms did the same.

"As Para, in Super Saiyan 3... with the amount of control we have over that transformation... I really think we could be a match against Vegeta in an all-out fight."

Bra nodded, "It's too bad we'll never get to try that, since we have to keep it a secret."

"Yes, let's definitely conceal it from the guys as much as possible. Let's conceal your telepathy, and most of our new skills."

"So after a whole year, Panny—do you still want to get revenge on Trunks and Goten?"

"Definitely. We have to finish what we started."

"Alright. Let's get the To-Do Lists for when we get out of this place."

As you can imagine, when you spend a year in another dimension, you begin to compile a giant to-do list of things you want to do upon returning. However, Bra had read a book about making specific and efficient goals, so the To-Do Lists were simplified and intended only for one day. There's only really so much a person can accomplish in one day.

_**Bra's To-Do List**_

-Go Shopping (IT HAS BEEN FAR TOO LONG)

-Get Fake Identification For Para

-Get Furnished Home for Para

-Get Fake Childhood Photos of Girl That Resembles Para

_**Pan's To-Do List**_

-Get Dinosaur Tranquilizer

-Send Flowers To Family of Woman I Killed

-Put My Apartment Up For Sale

-Break Trunks' Heart

* * *

_**6 AM, Earth**_

* * *

Everyone was waiting on Dende's Lookout, excited to welcome the girls home. The only person who was strangely absent from the gathering was Trunks, and the only person who hadn't been there previously to see the girls off but requested to be there for their arrival was Chi-Chi.

Dende and Mr. Popo had retreated to the garden, not wishing to interfere with the drama that would most likely ensue. Vegeta leaned against a pillar looking bored. Gohan and Goten stood aside, conversing in low tones. The women chatted cheerfully as they sat on the steps, Chi-Chi talking about her favourite new recipes while Bulma bragged that her newest robots could cook all the same things for her.

"Chi-Chi's territory is definitely the kitchen while Bulma's is in the laboratory," said Videl with a laugh.

"And where's your territory, dear?"

Videl smirked, "The bedroom, of course."

"VIDEL!" complained Gohan in embarrassment, even though he had been engrossed in a conversation with his brother about 20 meters away.

Videl stood up and put her hands on her hips, "Because I take my laptop into the bedroom and work from there! What were you thinking I meant, Gohan?"

The women chuckled as Gohan turned very red and stuttered, "N... nothing, I just..."

"Were you thinking that I meant to say the meaning of my life is to satisfy you in bed?"

"NO! Videl! I... I would never think you meant that..."

"To bring you carnal pleasure?"

"No! _Videl!_" Gohan stood with his legs wide apart, and he waved both arms in the air wildly.

"Well. Maybe I did mean that! And so what if I did! Gohan, if you don't want to hear our private girl talk then you should stand further away. Capiche?"

"But you're girl-talking with my mother and Bulma!"

"And who else am I going to girl-talk with? We've been girl-talking about you since we died together... and there was that demon-guy... what was his name? Dabura? I girl talked about you with him too, but he was a bit of a creep."

Gohan sighed and rubbed his forehead before returning to the conversation with his brother. Vegeta snorted at the idea of Dabura, the King of Demons who had tried to _kill_ Gohan for Babidi, _girl-talking_ about him. But stranger things had happened.

Videl chuckled softly to herself, simply loving how easily she could embarrass her husband and make him blush, even after all these years.

After some time, the heads of Vegeta, Gohan, and Goten jerked to look towards the Time Chamber as the door cracked open. The women were not perceptive to sensing ki, but they _were_ perceptive of the men, and they quieted down and stared at their faces for information.

Goten's jaw had dropped at what he sensed, and his eyes widened. Gohan had a large smile taking over his face. Vegeta pulled away from the pillar and uncrossed his arms as he stared at the door, his face extremely focused.

"I guess it's safe to say the girls have become significantly stronger," remarked Videl casually after studying the reactions of the men to the door cracking open. The door had paused before it opened completely as the girls picked up their duffle bags.

"Dear Dende," said Goten in awe, "That's not possible... that can't really be _them_we're sensing. This is some sort of joke."

"That's my little girl!" said Gohan proudly as the door swung open to reveal the girls.

At the first glimpse of _two_ golden heads of hair Vegeta's breath caught in his throat and he could only form a small grunt of pride, "And mine."

Smiles overtook the faces of Bra and Pan as they first beheld their families. They had changed out of their battered saiyan armors and wore casual clothing along with light makeup—they _were_ being seen by other beings for the first time in a year. Bra was still in the Super Saiyan transformation she had grown so accustomed to, and Pan was still in her comfortable second level.

As soon as the doors were fully opened, Bra rushed into the arms of her father, eager to receive praise for achieving the "legendary transformation" and to obtain the parental validation she had longed for her whole life. Most of all she had just missed her parents dreadfully. Bulma crooned and stroked her daughter's golden locks while Vegeta smiled—actually smiled! It was a betraying indicator of just how much bliss he felt at seeing his princess transformed.

He looked over his daughter's head intending to nod at Pan to thank her for her patience and dedication in training Bra, but what he saw made him frown.

As Pan had stepped out of the Time Chamber, a strange expression had transformed her face. She had taken a step shakily and then glanced up at the sky in confusion. She seemed to be dizzy for when she took another step one of her legs gave way underneath her and she fell to one knee. One hand tightly gripped the knee which was bent, and another hand clenched into a ball at her stomach.

Her family quickly crowded around her, but she seemed not to notice any of them as she looked up at the sky with a worried expression on her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Chi Chi and Videl fawned over Pan worriedly as Goten and Gohan glanced at each other.

"Panny, maybe you should power down," suggested Goten, "I can see you really want to show off that you hit Super Saiyan 2, and we're all really proud of you, but I don't think you can handle the transformation yet."

"For your information," interrupted Bra coldly, "She hasn't left that state in about ten months. She's been_sleeping_ in Super Saiyan 2. So shut your hole, Goten."

Everyone turned to stare at Bra in shock except for Gohan who wasn't surprised to learn of his daughter's power. He had felt it bottled up in her for a while, begging to be released. He remembered what it had been like for him, and he was relieved she had finally gained control of the energy that needed to be awakened. Something else was causing her pain right now.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" asked Gohan gently, placing an arm around Pan's back to help her to her feet. His voice brought Pan's attention back to Earth and she smiled and placed a hand on her father's arm.

"Papa. It's just... when I was in there I couldn't sense any energy signals at all other than Bra's. As soon as I stepped out I could sense everything all at once, every significant life force on the planet, and it just really confused and overwhelmed me for a moment."

Gohan nodded, "It will take some time to re-adjust to this plane."

Vegeta stared at her for a moment before sending a telepathic message, _Girl. You weren't looking at a life force on the planet. What did you sense?_

Pan turned to him, always surprised at how well he was able to read her, _It's nothing, Vegeta. I just thought I sensed something very powerful in the distance in outer space. Something more powerful than any of us even when we're powered up, but that's not possible, is it?_

_Haven't I always told you that what you want to believe and_what you know_are two different things?_Vegeta walked away from the crowd, moving to the edge of the lookout. He tried to focus his ki-sensing ability, but he couldn't pick up anything unusual. He quickly powered up one level, then to the second level. He stared up at the sky, sensing for what Pan had felt. When he felt it he frowned.

Pan followed him. _I just think we would have sensed something like that before. I must have been able to sense the life forces on distant planets for a moment, and they must have all blended together. I'm just a bit dizzy. Sorry for the false alarm._

_Be quiet! I need to concentrate. It's far away, but I can sense someone and it's not a false alarm. He's powerful._Vegeta's fists were clenched, _Why haven't I sensed this before?_

Pan felt a shiver run through her at this confirmation. She tried to sense the energy again. It was indeed very far away, and she was positive none of the fighters could sense it unless extremely powered up. It was a massive power... far greater than the power signal she felt from Vegeta standing beside her, and that was a chilling concept. Yet it was too far away to really be of any threat, right? It was further than even Pan had travelled out into the Universe. Even if it was dangerous, it would take years to travel that distance without instantaneous movement. But it might not be dangerous after all...

Pan had no clue whether it was friend or foe, and she turned to Vegeta curiously, _Do you know who it is?_

Vegeta hadn't responded to her, and the muscles in his jaw slightly twitched as he stared up at the sky muttering, "Kakkarot?"

Pan shook her head and frowned. _Now you're doing it. What you want to believe and_what you know_are two different things. It's not him. Don't you think if it was him I would have teleported there the instant I felt it?_

"Not without taking me along with you, you wouldn't," snapped Vegeta, sending her a glare, then he noticed they were attracting the attention of the others on the lookout. _We'll discuss this later, Pan. Until then, let's try to monitor any fluctuations in that ki signal._

"What's going on, you two?" asked Goten.

"Nothing," said both Pan and Vegeta in unison, turning to glare at Goten. Bulma, Chi-Chi, Pan's parents and Bra walked forward to them as well with looks of concern on their faces.

Everyone knew that the two had been discussing something important. Bra's telepathy had intercepted some of their exchange, and she looked at the sky with worry although she could not sense anything.

Vegeta looked to his daughter, "Maybe you girls should both power down and get some rest."

Bra nodded, and her hair turned blue and caressed her shoulders as it tumbled down. She sighed gladly at the feeling, curling a strand around her finger, _Oh, how I've missed you!_

"Where's Trunks?" asked Pan as she also powered down, looking around, "I wanted to give the ring back to him."

Everyone exchanged looks. Videl smiled and winked at Vegeta mouthing "_Told. You. So_." Vegeta rolled his eyes in response.

"Oh... well... don't do that today, sweetie," advised Bulma, "He can only stand so much bad news before having a breakdown. I just fired him."

"WHAT?" came the response of all those who hadn't yet been informed.

"I fired him," Bulma repeated, "And I have some new positions which have opened up for you girls in the company, if you'd like to take them. A spot for Bra in research and design, and for Pan in bio-med."

"You fired him, mom?" asked Bra, still unable to get over the surprise.

"He really needed a break. He was drowning in his work and making poor decisions."

"Yeah, and while we're all on the subject," added Goten, "I'm quitting."

"WHAT? But Goten..." objected Gohan.

"Why, dear?" asked Bulma in confusion.

Chi-Chi marched up to her younger son and poked her finger into his face, "GOTEN SON. Just what on earth will you do for MONEY?"

"Don't worry, mom. I have something in mind," said Goten reassuringly, putting his hands on Chi-Chi's shoulders, "Trunks is my friend and I feel it would be disloyal to keep working in a company where he's not welcome. Besides. What Trunks did, all his 'poor decisions'—I know he meant the best. Capsule Corp. is his life, and he is going to be a mess now. I have to be there for him."

Bra and Pan looked at each other. After being cooped up together for a year, they didn't need words and could easily read each other's expressions to know the other was moved by Goten's show of allegiance to Trunks. But Bra sent her friend a thought anyway, _Oh, Pan. He's so warm and loving. The way he's so devoted to my brother... it's inspiring. Friendship like that is so rare. He would go through hell for Trunks, wouldn't he? Why couldn't he feel that way toward me?_

Pan glared at Bra, _Because he's a dickhead. OK, I don't really mean that. I honestly believe he DOES feel that way toward you. He isn't here on this lookout just to welcome me back, you know. He's barely looked at me, but he keeps sneaking glances at you. Goten is just misguided. And you know: if you want a friend who would go through hell for you, she's standing right here!_

Gohan and Goten were arguing while the girls were having their mental discussion.

"It's not like I'm really needed anyway, bro," remarked Goten, "Let's be honest."

Bulma and Gohan sighed, knowing they'd have to accept the loss.

"Well, then," Chi-Chi interrupted, "Will you girls at least think about accepting Bulma's offer and working for C.C.?"

"I do really dislike working at the hospital sometimes," admitted Pan, "But they offer me a lot of flexibility of schedule, which I need. Lately... well, a year ago, I wasn't 100% able to focus on work, and I wouldn't want to let Bulma down."

"That's alright, sweetie. Take all the time you need. I'll pay you girls handsomely, of course."

"I definitely would like to come work in the labs," said Bra, "But at the same time I invent best when I'm not under pressure. Besides mom, Pan and I made some plans when we were in the Time Chamber, we might be... otherwise occupied for a little while."

"And let me guess," said Videl, crossing her arms, "Whatever you two will be doing will result in both of you never coming home to visit your folks."

"Oh, I hope not!" said Chi-Chi sadly, "We hardly ever see you at home as it is. What are you girls up to?"

"It's just... a secret project that we'll be working on for a little while. We're thinking of traveling somewhere distant," Pan remarked, "Maybe a foreign country for a while or maybe even to outer space."

"You just got back from the Time Chamber," rebuked Gohan, "Why would you want to travel more? Don't you want to spend some time with your family?"

"Of course, Papa," said Pan, feeling guilty. She moved forward and hugged her mother and father, giving them both daughterly kisses, "I'm going to sell my apartment in the city. I promise that as soon as I take care of a few things, I'll come back to live at home and you'll see me so often you'll be sick of me."

"Oh, Panny, we could never be sick of you," said Videl, squeezing her daughter in an affectionate hug.

Pan smiled, turning to her grandmother, "And Grandma, you'll be complaining about having another mouth to feed soon enough!"

"I hope so, young lady!" admonished Chi-Chi, "You know I don't feel cheerful unless I'm cooking for a pack of hungry saiyans."

Pan smiled and waved at her family, "I'll see you all soon!"

With that she grabbed her duffle bag and blasted off into the air to complete her To-Do List.

Bra similarly quickly hugged and kissed her parents, "I'm probably going to disappear for a little while as well, mom and dad. Don't worry about me. I've gotten a lot stronger. Take care of yourselves... everyone."

With that Bra blasted off the lookout with a speed and confidence that no one had ever seen her possess before.

"Wow," mumbled Goten, "I can't believe she went Super Saiyan."

"Why not, dear?" asked Chi-Chi, wrapping her arms around her son as the signal for him to fly her home, "Bra is just as much a Saiyan as you are."

"She just never seemed interested in fighting," he tried to explain, as everyone turned to look at him curiously. He stuttered under their glares, especially Vegeta's condescending one, "I guess... I didn't know her as well as I thought."

"Maybe it's not too late for you to get to know her," said Bulma softly.

Goten felt a slight flush in his cheeks. Bulma would _never_ stop these suggestions.

"You should never underestimate the strength of the women you spend every day with, Goten," remarked Chi-Chi, "It takes a very strong woman to be able to put up with impossible saiyan men."

"Amen to that!" said Bulma with a grin as she elbowed Vegeta. Videl tried to repress her chuckle.

* * *

"Can it be done, Mr. Alvarez?"

"Yes, but it will cost you. I usually don't work for people I don't know. How did you find out about my services?"

"Let's just say that I've hired you before and I was very pleased with your work. For this job, however, I require a bit more confidentiality and would prefer it if even _you_ didn't know my identity."

Bra had her telephone re-routed so that the number was untraceable, and she was using a voice-changer. Mr. Alvarez was the agent that the Briefs had hired to create an earthling identification for Vegeta. Vegeta hadn't agreed to this until Bra had convinced him when she was ten years old and demanded that he have a license to drive her shopping because flying was "not cool."

"Well, miss. Just fax me a photo of the girl along with the exact spelling of her name, the date of birth, her address, and... which package did you want to buy?"

"The full package. I need a birth certificate, driver's license, passport, citizenship, everything."

"Everything? As though you were creating her out of thin air?"

"Yes, everything."

"Well... sure, but it's really going to cost you."

"I'm ready to transfer the money to you as we speak. I've sent you all the pertinent information, is that acceptable?"

"Ah, yes. I've received it. 'Para Medea Brieson' who was born in London, twenty-two years ago?"

"That's the one."

"Alright, I can have these printed up in about ten minutes if you can transfer that money to me. Two-hundred thousand is the price."

"Just a moment... aaand it's done."

"Oh... so I see. How will I deliver the package to you?"

"Just put it on your windowsill and let me know when it's ready. I'll stay on the line."

"Ah... alright."

Bra leaned back in her leather chair, fingering the new dress she'd purchased on her morning shopping trip. She'd picked out a small house in the city for Para, done all through a realtor on the phone, and once she could use the ID to set up a bank account for Para she could purchase the house in her name. She could have easily just purchased the house as Bra, but she didn't want to have any obvious links to Para. She planned to paint the basement of the house with ki suppressing paint, along with the garage. That way Pan and Bra could drive into the house, enter the basement, and fuse without being detected. They could also go into the basement to un-fuse and drive away undetected. It was perfect.

"Miss, are you still on the line?"

"Is the package ready?"

"Yes. I'm placing it on my windowsill now."

"Turn around," demanded Bra, not that it was necessary. She would move too fast for the human eye to see. She let go of the receiver, and quickly flew to Mr. Alvarez's place, picked up the package, and was back at her home to catch the receiver before it had dropped.

She quickly scanned through the package, finding the ID pieces to be sufficient, "It seems everything is here! Thank you, Mr. Alvarez, a pleasure doing business with you."

"With you as well, miss."

* * *

Pan had worn a disguise and flown to veterinary hospitals in Africa to procure what she needed. Etorphine, or "Immobilon" was a sedative with 3,000 times the power of morphine, and used as tranquilizer for large animals. It was fatal to humans, but perfect for saiyans wishing to conceal their kis beyond what could naturally be suppressed.

The only problem was that it had to be administered through injection.

This thought made Pan shiver, and the little hairs on the back of her neck stood up straight. She had no problem with giving out injections, but she had _never_ had a needle once in her entire life! She would cross that bridge when she came to it.

For now, however... there was something much more terrifying that needed to be done. It was time to tackle the most difficult task of her day.

She changed into a different set of clothing before seeking out his ki and flying towards it. When she was almost there she realized that he was at her apartment. Their apartment, really. She had originally bought a modest apartment near the hospital when she had begun working there, but Trunks had stayed with her so often that he demanded she upgrade to a more deluxe flat, and he had paid the difference.

It was fitting that they should meet there. She could tell him that she'd decided to sell the apartment while she was in the Time Chamber. She'd realized that she hadn't been back to the place since she and Trunks had broken up, not able to bear the memories it held for her. The mere thought of approaching the apartment had made her feel sick to her stomach, but now so much time had passed that she could put that behind her.

_Bra is lucky that she bought her house all by herself,_Pan thought to herself. _Trunks being co-owner of my apartment made me feel practically homeless after we split, even if I owned the greater percentage of the property. Now we'll have to divide the value. Like a mini-divorce._

Pan landed on the roof and as she walked to the stairs, knowing that every step brought her closer to _him_, she began to feel the sick feeling in her stomach again. Putting a year between them hadn't given her as much strength as she'd hoped. Living a year without him hadn't changed her feelings as much as she'd hoped. She unconsciously ran her hands over her clothing to smooth out the wrinkles from flying.

She descended the flights of stairs and walked through the halls to her apartment door. She could feel his ki so strongly now. She sensed it for his emotions. He knew she was coming, and he was anxious.

Even though it was her apartment to which she had her own key, she still raised her hand to knock on the door. Before her knuckles had touched the door a second time, Trunks had already opened it, and their eyes met.

She knew that she had technically seen him just "yesterday"—but because it had been a year for her she found herself looking for changes in his face. He looked more haggard, more tired, and more beautiful.

Trunks was gazing at her too, taking in the changes that the year had caused to her hair and body.

"Pan," he said simply, holding out his arms to her. She couldn't resist going to him then, and burying her face in his chest. If the year had taught her anything, it had taught her that regardless of whether they were together he would always be a massive part of her life. He would always mean the world to her.

Trunks pulled her against him closely, and reached out with another hand to shut the door. He closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair. He hoped that she had had enough time to forgive him, and that they could go back to their normal lives. He hadn't felt like himself in a long time... and holding her in his arms again made it all feel right.

Pan didn't mean to clutch him so tightly, but after a year of sweet memories, torturous dreams, and his face haunting her, she almost forgot the reason she had come. She had no idea how many minutes they had stood there, tightly wrapped in each other's arms.

"We should sit down," she finally said, as she tried to gather her wits about her. She tried to muster her resolve. In truth, however, being this close to him again had made her feel very lightheaded. Being able to go Super Saiyan 2 offered no real defences against the emotional impact he had on her. The world disappeared and she felt content in his embrace.

Trunks nodded against her hair and reluctantly pulled away, leading her to the couch. She followed. He moved to pull her down to sit on his lap and she nearly followed his direction until she caught herself. _Kami, how is it so easy to fall back into the same old routine, even after all this time?_Pan forced herself to sit down _beside_ him on the couch, and she folded her hands in her lap awkwardly and stared down at them. It was hard to be formal, hard to be composed in their own living room, on the selfsame couch where he had done the most intimate things to her conceivable.

"Trunks, I've had time to think."

"You're not wearing the ring," he suddenly noted, a sharp tone in his voice.

She nodded, reaching into the pocket of her cream coloured pants to withdraw the jewel. She placed it back in his hands, "I can't accept it."

"Pan... this was a gift, and you know that I won't allow you to return a gift. I had it custom made for you, and it belongs to you... whether you choose to marry me or not. Whether you forgive me or not."

He placed the ring against her palm and folded her fingers over it, but he didn't let go of her fingers, "I thought you might not agree... but if you ever change your mind someday... just come to see me wearing it. You won't have to say a word or explain a thing. I'll understand, and we'll just go back to the way we were, alright? My heart will always be open to you. I just hope yours opens to me again someday."

Pan couldn't respond and kept her eyes cast downward, "I was also thinking of selling this apartment. I don't really need it anymore. If you need it, you can have it, but if not... I could sell it and we could split the profits?"

Trunks eyed her warily, "Why would you want to sell the apartment? Is something wrong?"

"No, I just..."

"If you need money, if you're in a tight spot, let me just write you a cheque," Trunks had already stood up and briskly walked over to his briefcase and opened the latches to pull out his chequebook.

"I don't need your money."

"Don't be prideful, Pan. I don't care to know what you need it for, but I won't have you wanting for anything, whether or not we're together. Now how much do you need?"

"I don't need anything," she said.

"Pan, please. Don't lie to me. Will $500,000 be enough?"

"Trunks, I really don't need..."

"How about a million? I won some money betting on a racehorse with a high ki so it's nothing..."

"Trunks!" said Pan, placing the ring back in her pocket before crossing the room and grabbing his hand to stop the pen in it from descending onto the chequebook. She held his hand firmly and looked into his eyes, "You know what my financials are like. I may prefer a tattered gi to a designer dress, but I'm still an heiress."

"Pan, I'm sorry," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair, "I just don't know why you would want to sell the apartment. I thought you loved it here?"

"I did," she said sadly, "But not since... well you know. There are just too many memories here for me. I can't stay here anymore."

"I see. You're trying to wipe out every connection you've ever had to me."

"Don't be so dramatic!" Pan said with a laugh, "That's not it at all. If I really wanted to do that, then..."

Pan gestured to the detailed full-color global map which covered her living room wall, and had hundreds of multi-colored thumbtacks stuck into it, "I would need to charge up a huge fancy ki attack and wipe out the whole planet. Maybe I would use your Buster Cannon. But then, of course, I would still know how to do that move, along with all the other hundreds of techniques you've taught me, and I'd still have countless memories of you so... in order to effectively wipe out every connection I've ever had with you I'd have to wipe myself out, but really even THAT wouldn't be enough—because face it! We'll probably meet up in the afterlife to train with the Kais."

Trunks smiled as she ranted, "I'm sorry that I made you so disappointed to be stuck with me forever. I remember you used to be very fond of the idea."

She nodded mechanically, glancing into his ocean-blue orbs.

"Pan..." he began again, taking her hands and pulling her forward so that their bodies and faces were very close, "Just tell me... is there a chance for us? A chance to set things right? I'm willing to do anything it takes."

She stared at him for several minutes silently before responding, "Let me be perfectly honest here. I have never been with anyone other than you. You've been with plenty of women. _Plenty_. I had a year to really think about it, and I'm not sure if I can spend the rest of my life with you. I just... I never believed you would cheat on me, and knowing that I was wrong... it makes me wonder if I was wrong about us to begin with. Wrong about everything."

"No, Pan..."

"And if I were to get back together with you, marry you, and if something like that were to happen again... I don't know what I'd do. It would destroy me. But I'm not concerned about being destroyed, I'm concerned about what else I would destroy."

"You know I would never do anything like that again."

"Really? Trunks, I KILLED SOMEONE. I killed an innocent woman! Not an evil monster in outer space, not someone trying to slaughter us and obliterate the planet, I killed an _innocent defenceless human woman_. And I was so angry that I _didn't even notice_. That's not right, and that's not normal. And if that's the person that being with you turns me into, then I don't want to be with you."

"Pan. What we have between us is _too amazing_ to cast aside," his eyes flashed angrily, "I would have killed anyone who touched you too. It's just who we are, it's a saiyan thing."

"A saiyan thing!" she repeated, her voice rising, "That's always the excuse when one of us does something wrong. This is Earth, where you and I were both born, where we have lived our entire lives, and different rules apply here than on Planet Vegeta!"

"How can you say that after what we've both seen and lived through?" asked Trunks, marching to the window angrily. He threw open the curtains roughly and turned, pointing.

"Look. THERE IS PLANET VEGETA. The moon is Planet Vegeta, the "Tuffle Planet" and it has played a bigger role in our lives than you care to admit. It's not part of a distant folklore, it's right here. We've seen the Earth destroyed, and if it weren't for our families, if it weren't for US SAIYANS there wouldn't be any humans left alive today. You've never been one to deny your heritage, why should you start now?"

Pan cast her eyes downward and turned her back to him. She returned to the sofa and sat down calmly, stating, "None of that gives me an excuse to be a killer."

"No, but neither does it give you an excuse to wreck what we have!" Trunks crossed the room back towards her and knelt on the ground in front of where she sat on the sofa, resting his hands on her knees, "Just look me in the eyes and tell me that this is completely over for you. Tell me that you never want to be close to me again, tell me that you don't love me, and I'll let you be. Tell me you don't love me."

Pan stared at him for a moment, and she feared he could see to the depths of her soul even without telepathy. She feared that he could hear her thinking, _Trunks, I love you with all that I am._

"Please," she answered, closing her eyes tightly, "I just think that we need time apart. I think that we should both see..."

"Kami, don't finish that sentence, Pan."

"...other people."

He had her by the shoulders in an instant and he shook her forcefully, "See other people? Humans, you want to see humans?"

Pan made a face at him, the skin around her nose becoming scrunched up, "I am human."

"You're a saiyan! It's natural to be with another saiyan."

"That doesn't give me a lot of options," she said, smiling even though it was a very tense moment.

"GOOD!" he shouted, "I don't want you to have options."

She reached out and brushed some of his hair away from his cheek, enjoying his little possessive display of anger, "Your mother is human, and so are my mother and grandmother. Human-saiyan relationships have been proven to work well. Maybe they would work better for us as well."

"I felt your energy when you left the Time Chamber," he said, rising to his feet to look down on her, "You've ascended to Super Saiyan 2, haven't you?"

She slowly nodded.

"Well, that's a very _human_ thing to do, Panny," he said sarcastically.

"Trunks..." she looked up at him bitterly, "Maybe ultimately we're not meant to be. Are _you_even absolutely _sure_you want to spend the rest of your life with me? Lately it seems like you are interested in a _lot_of other women, and maybe you need to explore that some more before you commit yourself to one person. Was I even really the one you meant to give the ring to?"

"YES! Dende, Pan. That woman in the papers... she's someone Goten and I just met, and it was spending time with her that made me realize I couldn't let you go. I kissed her, but that was all. I knew it was wrong, and I knew I couldn't move on, even if your whole family was against me, even if you were against me. _I couldn't let you go_."

"I don't have the same conviction about myself anymore," said Pan softly, "I think I may be able to let you go. I think I need to find myself. I need to see if there's someone else out there for me. I have never had that chance."

"DAMN IT, PAN! You don't need that chance. I _won't_ allow it. Who is it that you want to be with?" Trunks moved his face very close to hers, growling, "Tell me who he is. Is it someone from your work? Is it that lecher Dr. Winters?"

Pan watched in amazement as an aura of blue ki surrounded him as his voice raised even further in anger, "TELL ME! Who is it that you want, Pan? I'll kill him, I will."

She could feel his growing anger and furore—it was permeating his rising ki, and it was causing his voice to shake. This jealous rage... she took it as an assertion of his love for her, which was just as crazy as the love she felt for him. Crazy enough to induce them both to act nothing like themselves.

It wasn't healthy. But as Pan stared into his fiery eyes, she felt herself swept up in the whirlwind of his passion, and she found him more irresistible than ever before. She found her hands clenching themselves tightly in her lap, and she found the muscles in her stomach contracting. She wanted to reach out and pull him against her and show him exactly who she wanted.

"Pan?" he demanded in a low voice, leaning forward so that their faces were very close. Items in the apartment began to fall off of shelves all around them as Trunks lost the grip he had on his power.

She allowed herself to bask in the glorious feel of his vehement ki. His natural power was so great, it was so amazing. She hadn't felt his ki in an entire year, and she was beginning to realize how much she had missed it. She almost wanted to make him angrier so that she could feel his life force intensify even more; she almost wanted to try to make him so angry he physically fought with her, although that was probably impossible. She wanted to pull him down onto the couch with her and make use of that passion of his. She wanted to show him the new limits of her ki, and let their energies mingle as they made love obsessively, zealously.

"WHO IS HE?" he shouted again, as his eyes flickered jade, "Tell me, Panny! Who do you want?"

She couldn't sit still for a minute longer. She couldn't resist.

She flung her arms around his neck and crushed her lips against his in a forceful kiss, knocking him off balance so that he fell backwards onto the coffee table, which broke in half. Trunks reached up to grasp her body in surprise, and felt her ki humming beneath his hands. He kissed her back with all the violence he felt, matching her own ferocity as he devoured her lips greedily. He grasped a handful of her hair at the nape of her neck to angle her head so that he could deepen the kiss, and he slipped another hand under her blouse, feeling the taut muscles on her back as he pulled her tightly against him.

He continued to kiss her until he felt wetness on his cheeks. He opened his eyes and realized she was crying. He hesitated for a second, and she suddenly pulled away with the same swift unexpected motion that she had used to attack him.

"Anyone but you," she said with determination as she stood up tearfully. She gazed down at him as he lay sprawled on the broken coffee table, "I want anyone but you."

The expression on his face slowly changed as he processed her words. As understanding seeped into him, his eyes averted, and a few droplets gathered on his lavender lashes before falling.

Her heart and mind ached at the sight of his turmoil, inwardly answering his question with the truth: _Only you. Only you. I want only you._

"Please don't do this," Trunks whispered, the pain evident in his eyes and his voice. "Please don't leave me."

Pan stared at him for a moment, tears rolling down her cheeks, and replied, "I have to."

With that she walked away.

As she left the apartment without a glance back, she prayed that he would not follow her. She couldn't bear to see what she'd done to him_._

When Pan exited the apartment complex and stepped into the dull rainy morning, she wondered if the year of training had done her any good whatsoever. Her anger had returned with full force.

Everything offended her. She wanted to lift her fingers and burn the skyscrapers. She wanted to incinerate the continents.

If being with Trunks had made her so angry that she killed a person, then being apart from him should have the opposite effect, right?

Apparently not. She still wanted to cause destruction. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, especially for someone who had spent so much of her life trying to prevent destruction.

She realized that she had been slowly walking in the middle of the sidewalk with crackling ki balls around each of her hands and her damp hair falling in front of her face limply, obscuring her eyes. Pedestrians were giving her odd stares and some were even running from her in fright. She suddenly smirked as she imagined that she must look like those dark-haired dead women from horror movies like _The Ring_ and _The Grudge_... but she was certainly much more dangerous than those vengeful spirits. She was alive. She was powerful. This was _her_horror movie.

The balls of ki on her hands disappeared. She controlled the emotion. Her first thought was to find a remote area to have a quick release and to set off a few explosions. (She was suddenly missing the Time Chamber wherein everywhere was remote.) But then she thought better of it.

She went to find Vegeta to show off a few of her new tricks, and to make him pay for fathering her undoing. She would temporarily ignore the fact that he had also fathered her reparation.

* * *

"Did you get the Dinosaur Tranquilizer?"

Pan narrowed her eyes at her friend, "Of course, it was on my To-Do List, wasn't it? But you were supposed to ask me about how things went with your brother first."

Bra waved her hand in casual dismissal, "Don't need to ask. I eavesdropped with my long-distance telepathy and I was basically right there in your head. It was _steamy_!"

"Bra!" shouted Pan, throwing a punch at her friend's face which Bra blocked easily with one finger before frowning.

"Watch the nails, Panny. I just had them done today. I can't spar with you every minute of every day anymore now that I have to look pretty for everyone else in the world."

"You can't eavesdrop on my private conversations either," scolded Pan.

"Conversations? So that's what you two were doing lip-locked on the broken coffee table, having a conversation."

Pan almost crouched down into a battle stance and declared war, but then she thought better of it and announced, "I'm going to bed."

"So early? But you haven't even seen Para's new house yet!" Bra watched Pan stomp up the stairs to her room and smiled. Telepathy sure was fun. Then she remembered the word that Pan had used: _bed_.

Bra quickly turned Super Saiyan, flew up the stairs, showered, used her ki to dry herself off, brushed her teeth, put on a nightgown, and dove into her bed all in under a minute. She had been looking forward to this moment for a year. She had dreamt of lying in her own massive ultra-comfortable bed again, with the lullaby of the ocean to soothe her.

She sighed a deeply exaggerated sigh as she powered down and fluffed up the pillow behind her head, pulling her duvet snugly right up under her chin. She breathed deeply and tried to relax and let slumber take her.

But then her eyes shot open. She sniffed the air suspiciously, then pushed her face into the duvet covers and inhaled. Her eyes widened and she turned over and sniffed the pillow. Bra crawled up on all fours and began sniffing the bed frantically.

"I thought I laundered these sheets a few days before I left," she murmured weakly, "So either my sense of smell has become much more acute than it was before or..."

Bra sprung out of bed and quickly transformed again and flew down to the basement. She punched in her secret code for entry to her lab and she flew directly to her computer. Her newly manicured fingers flew over the keyboard, bringing up the surveillance footage of the past 24 hours. What she saw made her recoil from the monitors in perplexed shock.

"I don't understand... what are you doing, Goten?" she asked the monitor blankly.

She watched Goten peacefully sleeping in her bed.

She felt the corners of her lips twitch manically, "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to sneak into your ex-girlfriend's house and sleep in her bed without permission? You naughty, naughty boy."

Bra reached out and touched the screen, tracing Goten's face with a perfect fingernail as her eyes shone with their evil intent.

"Para's going to punish you for being a naughty boy, Goten."

* * *

So what do you think? I hope you will have a chance to leave a review. If you have a story of your own that you'd like to share with me, or a recommendation please let me know as well!

Now for the thanks! This story is brought to you by the energy supplied by my awesome reviewers:

**jazzyfizzler**: Your wish is my command! Next chapter, Para will push Goten off a cliff and he will die a long and painful death, how does that sound? Hehehe, okie maybe not. Well, maybe she can push him off a cliff, but unfortunately I don't think that will kill him. Lol! I am really thankful that you compared Goten's treatment of Bra to Vegeta's of Bulma, because I think that will help me in sorting things out between them. Sorry that I had to interrupt the sexiness of Trunks by making him say goofy things. =( I intended for it to be a purely sexy part, but I couldn't help sneaking some of geeky GT Trunks into there because I was getting too hot while writing it. XD

**Leecassi**: Thank you so much for your thorough and kind review! It does my heart good to know that you can visualize the action so well and that you found the emotions to be realistic. Thanks for mentioning the particular scenes which you enjoyed, and I'm glad you see what I mean about Trunks vs. Real Men! =D

**DaBigWilliG**: Can it be? A GUY is reading my fanfiction? YES! My life is complete! Really though, I'm pleased to know that your gender can enjoy my work as well since I don't have a lot of male readers. I really like what you said about Pan turning Super Saiyan 4... I agree that it would be unrealistic, but I definitely think that Pan and Bra fused should be able to do it quite easily. Hint Hint. =) Thanks for your lovely review, and I am so cheered up to have received your feedback!

**Anmylica**: I know I already thanked you... but THANK YOU AGAIN! Do you like how I fit the lines into the chappy? I hope so!

**famoso**: Thank you for complimenting the battle scenes! I really try to make them DBZish as much as I can! Sorry that Goten's snooping irritated you. He just misses her! Hehe.

**gina31486**: I'm glad you thought that the Bra-breakdown was necessary! Actually, because of your review I went and read the whole "Goku's Humored" story and I really enjoyed it, so thank you for mentioning it to me! I realized that the story had some similarities to mine... like Trunks holding Pan while they slept on the GT spaceship. I LOVED reading the Piccolo-training-Pan scenes. I really liked the idea of Pan having the Mystic powers and possibly being the one to defeat Baby. I mean, come on... Goku defeats EVERY villain in GT, can't Pan have one conquest? Gohan gets Cell at least in DBZ. Man. Well, this is my story and Pan's our heroine here!

**Hanako**: Awww, really? I am so glad that the chapter touched you emotionally so much. You are so sweet to tell me that! Please let me know when you post a fanfic of your own and I will certainly read and review it! I hope you liked this chapter too!

**Phantasom**: Whew! Thanks for agreeing with my decision to make the Time Chamber scenes longer. With regards to your comment "Adventure is always more fun than safe"- Amen to that! I am there with you 100%! =)

**Suzki**: You're right, it's definitely time for Bra to stop crying over Goten! Thank you for putting that in your review. Sorry if it was too much of the Time Chamber, but it will be important a bit later in the story! It's over now and back to Para's naughtiness next chappy. =)

**Talk smith Kid**: Haha, Goten will get what's coming to him shortly. Thanks for your feedback!

**Adwoax3**: Thank you! I find it a big compliment to hear my work being called "realistic"! =)

**Ken Trunks**: Very glad you liked the DBGT memories! Thanks for reviewing!

**Supersaiyan2479**: Thank you so much for your feedback, dear! Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**Jaedeon Sierra**: Thank you for your comments on the pacing of the chapter. =) Glad you like it and hope you will keep reading.

**mali86**: Thank you!

**faggismcgorpis**: Thank you, I hope you liked this one too!

**Ann**: Thanks for your feedback!

Thanks for stopping by to read my little project. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Again, if you like my writing, please check out the "Sacred Breath Series" written by Nadia Scrieva. That's me! =)


	11. Wet Limp Noodle

_Chapter Eleven: Wet Limp Noodle_

Hello to all our new readers! Even though the beginning of this story was written a while ago, I still greatly value your reviews. I'm currently writing the later chapters, and it definitely gives me some motivation to read your thoughts.

**Morisako83:** Thanks for your multiple reviews! So glad you're enjoying the story. :)

**nite-fire:** Thanks for your comment! I'm glad you're happy to see the story again. :)

**Jrik23, nikki-michelle**, and **gotenxbulla**: Thank you all for reviewing as well!

I am so thrilled that you all thought Pan did the right thing. In this chapter we'll take a break from the seriousness and have a little fun.

~PanHopeNvs~

* * *

Pan couldn't believe the power level she was sensing. Why did it have to be that every new enemy made all the old ones feel like they had been nothing? Why couldn't a new enemy be _moderately _powerful for a change, instead of ominously omnipotent? It wasn't fair.

And Goku wasn't around. That was always a reassuring sign at the start of a battle: having no Goku.

Vegeta would be up first... followed by Gohan. Pan was very worried. The saiyans weren't as young as they had been during the fight with Baby. For Kami's sake, Vegeta was 75 years old... although he didn't look it, and he could certainly still pull off spandex as well as his son, Pan didn't _want_ him to be the first up to fight. She wanted to take his place. Maybe he was stronger than ever, maybe he still had thirty years of his prime left in him, but who really could say? The saiyan lifespan was a mystery.

"It will be here any moment now. Let's be ready."

"Right, Vegeta."

But how could she tell him that she wanted to go first without offending him? She knew what she had to do. She wouldn't tell him, and she would just attack whatever it was that came out of the ship head-on once they determined whether it was a threat. It was foolish if she considered her own life—but maybe she could wear the monster down, and maybe Vegeta could learn something about the monster's technique from watching her fight. And then if both she AND Vegeta fell... maybe her dad could finish things off. Or Trunks, or Goten. Uub and Android 18 were both formidable fighters as well, and they would need every member of the team.

Bra was powerful, and her telepathy could be invaluable, but she wasn't ready for this kind of fight. Pan didn't want her going anywhere _near_ a creature with power like that.

Pan realized that she was already taking more of a leadership role in this battle than she ever had before. And why not? She was actually an adult now. When the ship landed in a cloud of smoke and dust, Pan stared in dread as it opened. A figure of a giant man stood concealed in the shadows. His hair was long... shoulder length, and it blew in the wind as his he stepped forward to peruse the landscape.

"So this is Earth?" he said casually, hooking his thumbs into his belt. Pan gasped when the smoke cleared and she saw him. His hair was a deep forest green and his clothing was royal. He wore a rich maroon cape. He was stunning.

This was new. Enemies weren't supposed to be gorgeous extraterrestrial male models.

"Better than the last one. I think I'll conquer it," he said to his henchmen cheerfully. "We can never have enough homage and taxes."

"Just try it!" shouted Vegeta, powering up, "You'll have to go through _me_ first. I've already had one of my homes conquered and I do NOT intend to let it happen again!"

Vegeta launched himself at the man without reservation.

"NO, Vegeta! Let me!" said Pan, moving her feet wide apart and trying to power up to Super Saiyan to intercept his attack. It wasn't working.

She'd forgotten how to go Super Saiyan.

She gritted her teeth and strained and strained, but it wouldn't come. She looked down at her body, wondering what in Dende's name was wrong. She frowned when she saw the clothes she was wearing. An old gi... one she used to wear when she was 19. It wasn't that she'd forgotten how to go Super Saiyan—she had never learned how!

Suddenly, a voice behind her startled her and made her turn around.

"Quit wasting your time, Panny. You don't need to be a Super Saiyan like the boys, you're going to be a _Super Surgeon_, sweetie!"

"No, grandma! I..." Pan looked around in horror as her surroundings changed to a small hospital room.

Four doctors crowded around her wielding small pieces of medical equipment as weapons.

"What are you doing, Dr. Son? You have to operate!"

"Operate! Operate!" shouted the other doctors, advancing on her menacingly.

"But... we have an enemy to fight," she protested.

"OPERATE!"

"Fine! I will!" she shouted, pushing past them until she could see the patient on the table. She saw a small body lying there—a child with his chest cut open to expose a beating heart. His head was covered by a light blue cloth and he was also covered from the waist down. The heart had an exaggerated zigzagged line down the middle and steam was rising from it.

"...Uh, alright," said Pan in confusion, "What is this condition? I've never seen anything like this before."

The young patient sat up (with his chest still cut open) and pulled off the fabric which was covering his face, revealing sad blue eyes and lavender locks. It was Trunks, but he was just a child.

"Panny, you broke my heart," he said, pointing with chubby fingers to the zigzagged line running down the middle of the organ, "Now you need to go Super Surgeon and fix it."

Pan screamed. She sat up in bed sweating, and saw that Bra was standing in the doorway and looking quizzically at her. It had all been just a dream.

"What the hell was that about?" asked Bra.

"He was a kid!" said Pan in shock as she wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Ew. OK, too much information!" said Bra, shaking her head as though it would clear the image from her mind. "I do not want to hear about your sexual fantasies with Chibi Trunks."

Pan sent her friend a very un-amused look, "I know you were invading my head and that you probably saw most of that nightmare, so quit making fun of me."

"Fine," Bra threw up her hands and smirked, "Guilty as charged, _Super Surgeon_. Come along, I have something I need to show you."

"What? Can't I rest a bit longer?" said Pan pouting.

"Don't make that face at me, I'm not your father!" complained Bra, but her face softened, "OK. Panny. I really need you to fuse with me, _now._ Want to know how Goten spent the day we were in the Time Chamber?"

"How?"

"IN MY BED!"

"What? Seriously?"

"Come down to the lab, I'll show you evidence. Then we're driving to Para's house."

Pan got out of bed groggily and stumbled over to Bra. Her knees gave way a few times below her and buckled slightly as she placed her legs one foot before the other.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Bra.

"I trained with your dad after the thing... the thing with Trunks," Pan mumbled. "After a spar with Vegeta you always feel sore in the morning... even though it isn't morning since you only let me sleep for... one hour."

"Oh yeah... I meant to ask about that. In your dream you were worried about my father fighting? Why is that? Did he seem... weaker when you battled him?"

"Hah!" scoffed Pan, "Vegeta, weak! That's a laugh... no, but after we trained for a few hours he seemed satisfied and he just stopped. Then he sat me down and gave me this lecture. This lecture about how 'not even saiyans live forever' and how he expected me to carry on his legacy and... Dende, Bra, he just scared the shit out of me. I mean, I know he's your father and not mine... but I love him like he is and I can't bear to hear him talk like that. It has something to do with the power we felt. Vegeta's worried he won't be able to defeat whoever it is if it comes down to a fight."

"Wow... this is serious," said Bra softly. She had never known her dad to worry. At least he had never shared his worry.

"But why me? Why is Vegeta giving me this mortality talk, and trusting me with all these responsibilities? Why not you or Trunks?"

"My dad has always seen something special in you. I often feared when I was younger that he wished that you were his daughter instead of me."

"BRA! There's no way. The man takes you shopping for Dende's sake."

"Hey, it's no problem—you can have him! As long as I can have your dad in exchange."

The girls laughed. Pan smiled, "Well, when we're fused we get both dads."

"Even without being fused. We're all family."

"Yes. We'd all die for each other if it came down to it," said Pan, thinking back to her dream.

"Kind of makes this whole Para and Goten and Trunks thing seem silly. Like a waste of time."

"No, Bra-chan. Grandpa taught me that even when things are getting serious, we can't lose sight of silly things that are important to us. It keeps us sane"

Bra smiled but her eyes were focused, "What exactly did my dad say earlier?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Panny."

"Bra."

Seeing that her friend wouldn't budge, Bra reached out and placed her hand on Pan's forehead and closed her eyes. The thoughts came swimming into her own mind, and she processed Pan's whole sparring session with Vegeta in a few minutes, as though it were playing in a movie on fast-forward:

"_A year and THIS is all you've achieved? I refuse to believe it!" He launched an atomic blast at her and she immediately concentrated on steadying herself to block it._

"_Vegeta, don't goad me on like that. It won't work." She flew at him, but seeing he was ready for her she materialized behind him before she could connect, and used the after-image technique to confuse him about her whereabouts. After a few seconds of moving as fast as she could while charging up balls of energy on both hands, she launched two attacks—one at the wall of the gravity chamber and one at Vegeta._

"_MASENDAN!" she called. As she predicted, Vegeta focused on blocking the attack which was directed at him, and the one which bounced off the wall hit him from the side an instant later. He was sent flying, but he quickly righted himself before hitting the wall of the chamber._

"_Impressive speed. But you're still holding back, girl. A lot. Why is that?"_

"_I don't think it would be wise to go to my maximum today," said Pan quietly, "I kind of lose my head when I'm fully powered up. Everything becomes too cloudy."_

"_You should have learned to control yourself better! Power is NOTHING without control. If you cannot control yourself you may as well be fighting for the enemy! HAH!" Vegeta charged up a volley of ki blasts and shot them at Pan in rapid succession._

_She crossed her arms over her head and used a small shield to deflect the vicious glowing balls._

"_I couldn't train at full power with Bra," she confessed as she used her energy to deflect the blasts. "I was afraid that I would hurt her."_

_She concealed the fact that she had gotten around this issue by using the multi-form technique and Para. She smiled as Vegeta's blasts bounced all over the walls and Vegeta had to try to avoid his own attacks._

"_I've learned quite a few new tricks," she boasted._

"_I noticed that, girl," said Vegeta, as he dodged the attacks as though they were annoying wasps, "But you can't beat me only with tricks. You also need power."_

_Vegeta bent his elbows and yelled as he expended the power necessary to transform into Super Saiyan 3. He let all of his wayward ki balls hit him, and they didn't make a scratch in his new form._

"_What do you say we take it up a notch? Transform!" he commanded with a grin, rubbing his cheek where an attack had hit him._

"_And what makes you think that I can do that?" asked Pan, her eyes narrowing at her mentor._

"_Because you're far too comfortable in Super Saiyan 2. Far too comfortable. And a true warrior always holds back a little bit of power for when things get challenging."_

_Vegeta flew at her again with another series of vicious attacks. "So show me your maximum! TRANSFORM!"_

"_I can't do it, Vegeta," she said, between panting breaths and blocking his assails. "You're overestimating me."_

"_Am I?" he said with a snort, "Don't play mind games with me, girl. Who do you think taught you those mind games?"_

"_M__aybe I can power up a _little _bit further," offered Pan. She focused to increase her power to about double what it was, but she remained in Super Saiyan 2._

"_Well, then," Vegeta smirked, powering up to Super Saiyan 4, "I'll just have to make it so difficult for you that you will _have_ to transform to avoid serious injury. Even if you can't do it, you'll have to learn NOW!"_

_He flew at her, and Pan hesitated for a moment, slightly intimidated by the red fur and massive power signal, but when his attacks came she quickly regained focus and worked on blocking them. He was too fast and too strong in this form for her to get any hits in on the offensive, but she was determined not to let him beat her to a bloody pulp. She hadn't sacrificed a year of her life for nothing._

This is just what I need, _Pan thought to herself, _training so hardcore that I don't even have a spare millisecond to think about what just happened with Trunks. And if he knocks me unconscious, even better.

_As the fight wore intensely for two hours, Vegeta grew frustrated. They couldn't use many ki attacks in the gravity chamber when they were powered up to this level, for it risked damaging the device. They were confined to mostly hand-to-hand combat._

_Vegeta landed a hard blow to Pan's abdomen. "Girl, just tell me if you can go Super Saiyan 3 and I'll stop pulverizing you."_

"_Why would I want you to stop?" asked Pan cockily, regardless of the fact that she was coughing blood and sweat was pouring down her body and her energy was draining fast. She had been defending relatively well against Vegeta, even though both of them were definitely not at their maximums (he was Super Saiyan 4, but she still felt like he was taking it easy on her, probably because of the gravity chamber)—she was proud of her progress in comparison to the last time she'd fought him. He had never sparred with her in Super Saiyan 4 before._

"_I'm sure you're getting tired of having your ass kicked," Vegeta offered. "Just power up and we'll end this."_

"_Even if I COULD have powered up to the third level... there's no way that I could do it now. I'm drained."_

"_You're right. You're useless."_

_Pan laughed and felt the blood gurgling in her throat, "It used to bother me so much when you said that. Now, after having said it a few hundred times to Bra myself, and after having meant it none of those times, the words have lost their effect."_

"_So have your punches. But I guess that explains why you didn't get anything done in the Time Chamber—you were too busy talking."_

_A muscle in Pan's forehead creased, "Not going to work, teacher."_

"_No, but this will," he said, as he materialized behind her and brought the side of his hand hard down onto her neck at an angle that sent her flying into the floor._

_She quickly pushed herself off the ground and flipped forward on her hands to avoid the follow-through ki blasts he was already launching._

"_You can beat me until I'm dead, I'm not going to transform today because I simply can't do it."_

_In the middle of charging up a barrage of ki attacks, Vegeta suddenly stopped attacking. He straightened out of his battle stance and powered down abruptly._

"_Good fight, Pan. Come here, there is something I need to speak with you about."_

"_You want to... talk?" said Pan in surprise, swallowing back the coppery fluid which was pooling in her mouth. "But we've only been fighting for a few hours. I can still breathe out of my nose, all my limbs are functioning and I haven't even lost enough blood to make me dizzy!"_

"_I will destroy your body thoroughly in the very near future, be assured of that. Today, however, I've learned at least the minimum of what I needed to know about your skill. And for now we have more important matters to discuss."_

"_I'd much rather keep fighting than stop to discuss anything," said Pan, who felt her emotions threatening to overwhelm her the moment she concentrated on something other than staying alive and not looking like a fool before Vegeta._

"_Power down," he commanded._

"_Can we please keep training and talk another time?" she asked again, her fists clenching and unclenching._

_He ignored her protest and leaned against the control panel of the gravity chamber, "Have you been sensing that energy signal like I asked you to?"_

"_Yes," she responded, her eyes travelling to the ceiling, "It has been steadily growing."_

_Vegeta pressed a button on the control panel and a small door opened to dispense cold drinks. He pulled out a soft drink and opened the can before taking a long swig, "You're strong. You might be stronger than Trunks and Goten. You might even be as strong as your father, but I can't be sure unless I see your true power. I will soon. You will come back and train with me at least once a day. Got it? I don't care what your other obligations are."_

_She paused and watched him before nodding, "Sure."_

"_I will teach you everything I know in the days to come so that you can pass it on to your children, and to Bra's children, to any partial saiyans that might ever be born. This will be your responsibility, do you understand?"_

_Pan frowned and nodded again._

"_It's important that we plan carefully so that we are prepared in the event of an upcoming battle. We don't have Dragonballs anymore, so we need to exercise caution. We will fight in order of the strongest, and in order of age, so I will go first. In the event that I am killed..."_

"_Vegeta," interrupted Pan in a tone which suggested that she didn't like the path the conversation was taking._

"_In the event that I am killed," he continued firmly, "I would like you to promise me something. It is a terrible thing for me to ask. I would not have asked this of you even one day ago, but now..."_

"_What is it?" she spoke so low that it was almost a whisper. Vegeta never asked anything of anyone._

"_It contradicts the advice I've given you in the past, and I understand if you won't agree... but if I fall, I want you to know that it is the dying wish of an old warrior."_

"_Vegeta," Pan said softly again, growing very concerned._

_He cleared his throat before speaking, "If I die, and you both survive this... I want you to marry my son."_

Pan reached up and grabbed Bra's hand and ripped it away from her forehead.

"Get out of my head."

There was murder in each emphatic stressed syllable.

"I'm sorry, Pan. But he's my daddy..."

Pan's marble frown softened. She took a deep breath to try to soothe her anger, "I didn't mean to snap. I'm a bit tense right now because of the situation with Trunks and... look Bra, nothing is going to happen to Vegeta, he's just talking crazy. We don't even know if the high power level is really a threat."

"In your dream..."

"Oh, forget my dream! Dreams don't mean anything," said Pan angrily. "If there really is a battle, and there really is danger, then I promise YOU I won't let anything happen to your father. Not that he can't take care of himself, but I will die before I let anyone hurt him. Besides, dying has got to be better than marrying your brother."

Bra sighed, "Thanks Pan. I'm sorry to have woken you up, you obviously have more important things on your mind than I do."

"Nonsense. What's this about Goten sleeping in your bed?"

"You have to see! You're going to flip!"

* * *

"OK."

She took a deep breath.

"OK."

Pan pulled the little tube of liquid out and she shuddered as she injected the needle into it and slowly withdrew, filling up the syringe.

"Hurry up, Pan, we have to be ready before Goten gets here."

"I... I..."

Pan exhaled erratically. She held the needle poised above her arm and her face was quickly changing colours.

"Pan. You're kidding me right. You're a doctor, for Dende's sake."

"I have no problem giving needles to others," said Pan, biting her lip, "It's just..."

"GIVE YOURSELF THE NEEDLE NOW."

Pan closed her eyes tightly as the needle descended closer to her arm, "Dear Dende, forgive me for my sins and weaknesses. Forgive me for teasing my grandfather about his fears. Forgive me if ever I was disrespectful to the Eternal Dragons. I am but a lowly human..."

"_What_ are you doing?" asked Bra in annoyance.

"Don't interrupt me. I'm praying," answered Pan through clenched teeth as she continued piously chanting under her breath, while the hand that held the needle shook violently

Bra growled and grabbed the needle and jabbed it into Pan's arm. She quickly unloaded the syringe into her friend's bloodstream, while Pan was still muttering prayers.

"There, it's done!" said Bra, "Now let's fuse, hurry."

"...And forgive me for... what?" asked Pan, and she opened her eyes and saw that the needle had been administered, "Wow, I hardly felt it! Thanks, Bra."

"You... idiot Sons," mumbled Bra

"Trypanophobia, also known as needle phobia, is a very common fear," Pan tried to justify, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, "It makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint."

"Sure it does. Are you ready for this?"

"I guess so."

"Well, let's turn on the seduction!"

"Right," said Pan, fluffing her hair up.

Bra shook her head, "No, I meant literally turn on the seduction."

She reached into her purse and pulled out her lipstick-sized Blutz wave simulator, flipping it on with a wink.

* * *

Goten checked the address on the small house and confirming that it was the one he had written down on his phone, he moved to the door and rang the doorbell. He waited a few minutes, and hearing nothing, he peeked through the foggy glass. He saw a fuzzy figure running down a staircase and stepped away from the door not to be caught peeking.

The door cracked open to reveal Para in a short bathrobe with a towel wrapped around her hair, looking flushed from running down the stairs, "Goten, you're early! I was in the shower. Please come in while I throw something on. I'll be fast. Please get comfy!"

"Sure, Medea," he said, entering the house and closing the door behind him as she went running up the stairs again. He glanced at the flexing muscles in her bare legs as she ascended.

"This is a really nice house!" he called after her.

"Thanks!" she shouted down. He shifted around uncomfortably but then some photos directly ahead on the fireplace caught his attention. One photo was of an adorable little girl with long indigo hair playing tennis, and another was of her between two people who must be her parents.

"Wow, Medea, you sure were a cute kid! You played tennis?"

"Yes, I was the tennis champ!" she said laughing as she ran down the stairs again in a yellow summer dress, quickly fastening some stud earrings into her ears, "Alright, I'm ready!"

He turned to look at her and then paused, "Oh! I love that colour. That dress looks similar to one my old girlfriend Paris used to wear."

Para let out a dramatic sigh, looking down at herself in disappointment, "Would you like me to change?"

"Oh no," he said waving his hand with a smile, "I haven't seen that girl in... wow, about eight years."

"You and Trunks both sure do talk a lot about your ex-girlfriends," observed Para. Of course, she had intentionally chosen a yellow dress, knowing Goten liked them. She walked forward and took the frame out of Goten's hands, looking down at the young girl surrounded by her family.

She smiled in a nostalgic way as she gazed at the (complete strangers in the) photograph, "I sure do miss my parents. I don't get a chance to go home and see them nearly enough."

"Where are they?" asked Goten.

"In England," she answered.

"Wow, you're a far way from home!" he remarked sympathetically.

"You have _no idea_, Goten. It's so hard to be _so far_ away from my family" she said, reaching out and resting a hand on his forearm, "So far from my loved ones. People I grew up around, people who know me best."

"I'm sorry, Medea," he said, moving closer to her and slipping an arm around her sympathetically, "You must get pretty lonely. I can't imagine what it must be like!"

She smiled at him thankfully and leaned into his embrace.

"I've never really traveled far away from home. I was supposed to once, but my niece went on that trip instead of me. She kind of... prevented me from going."

"How selfish of her!" exclaimed Para in mock indignation. She moved to place the photo back on the fireplace mantle, smiling secretively to herself. The photos were actually from Launch's childhood—Para had realized that the distant family friend greatly resembled her, and had secretly obtained and copied a few of her photographs for the purpose of creating her identity.

Goten glanced around, thinking to himself, _This place is so much smaller than Bra's house. It's an ordinary person's house, definitely not a millionaire's home. But Medea isn't ordinary... not at all. The house doesn't really suit her, but she probably can't afford more. She must be poor like me._

"Would you like something to eat before we go, Goten?" asked Para.

"Would I? Definitely!"

"Let me see what I have in here..." Para glanced in her fridge and sighed, "It's pretty empty... but I do have a jar of pickles."

"I love pickles!" said Goten cheerfully.

Para smiled (already knowing this) and reached for the jar. As she held the jar in her hand, suspended in midair, she moved her hand to the lid and turned to Goten.

Then she spoke the words. The fateful words which would brand her soul with darkness forever for orchestrating such foul deception. The words which would prove that she was truly capable of shedding her dignity in the name of revenge. The nine words which spoke volumes, saying so much and so little at the same time:

"Goten, could you please help me open this jar?"

His eyes widened. He had never heard the phrase spoken _in his entire life_. No woman he had ever lived with, or lived around, (certainly not his mother, certainly not Bra) no one had _ever_ asked him for help with opening a jar of pickles.

He cleared his throat, "Of... of course, Medea."

He reached out slowly, ceremoniously, his fingers brushing against hers as he took the jar into his custody. He moved his other hand to the lid and carefully unscrewed it. She read his thoughts and could hear his pride in having opened the jar, and having performed the proverbial role of the "man." Even to the Super Saiyan son of Goku, opening a jar of pickles for a damsel in distress still offered a substantial ego boost.

"Oh my goodness!" she said, hugging him thankfully, and sighing in embellished relief. "Sometimes I forget how nice it is to have a _man_ around to help out with the little things like that. Here's a fork! Go nuts, I'm going to grab my purse."

Para walked in to the other room and placed both hands over her mouth to conceal her laughter.

_If only he knew. If only he knew that of all the female creatures ANYWHERE in existence I am the one who LEAST needed help opening that jar of pickles._

She composed herself quickly (and checked to see that she hadn't smudged her lipstick hideously) and went back into the room. Of course, Goten had polished off the whole jar of pickles in the few seconds during which she had been absent.

"Oh, someone was hungry. Shall we go?" asked Para sweetly, grasping Goten's arm. He nodded and smiled at her and led her to the door.

"Medea, I'm really pleased you trusted me enough to see me again... I know we left on bad terms last time."

"You think that was bad! You should have seen my date with Trunks, it was awful!" said Para as she locked her front door with her new set of keys. She tried to make it look like she'd done it hundreds of times before. She and Goten walked down the steps of her porch and headed towards the nearby park where they had decided to take a walk together.

"Why was it so bad?" asked Goten curiously, "Trunks is a real ladies' man."

"I mean, he was charming, but... Trunks just went on and on and ON about Pan! Pan, this, Pan that! Trunks is a very sweet fellow, and I really would have liked to get to know him better... but he just doesn't seem to be really interested in me," Para leaned her head against Goten's shoulder and smiled up at him, "He just doesn't know how to treat a lady the way _you do_, Goten. You make me feel so wonderful."

_She's right! _Goten thought to himself proudly, _I am a lot better with seducing women than Trunks is, and I always have been._

"So I guess it's obvious then, Goten," she said with a smile, "I choose you."

"Really? Wow, that's great, Medea!" he exclaimed. But then immediately he began to realize he didn't feel as cheerful about "winning" as he should have. A lot had changed since Goten and Trunks made the initial bet.

"But I guess you just chose me by default," he added. "It doesn't matter, it will be nice to spend more time with you."

"It will be nice. But what does that make us, Goten? Am I your girlfriend now?" she asked.

"My... girlfriend?" he wondered out loud. He stopped walking and stared at Medea, and Bra's face came to his mind. He thought of Bra smiling, laughing. He thought of how happy he had been to call her his girlfriend. A small smile came to his face, but then Bra's more recent image came to mind. Icy teal eyes glaring at him from under iridescent golden bangs. Cold, angry stares and harsh words.

The girlfriend thing had been great at first... but Goten couldn't bear the pain of going through that again. He couldn't give someone else the pain he had unintentionally given to Bra.

"I like you a lot, Medea, but I think you should know... I'm a really terrible boyfriend. I'm not joking. You can talk to Trunks' sister about that... I really did a terrible thing to her. I regret it, but... what's done is done, you know? I can't even apologize to her because I'm scared to death I'll do the same thing again but worse..."

"Oh," remarked Para softly.

"Maybe you and I could spend time together with..." Goten searched his mind for the old lingo, the lingo from his wild twenties, "Um... what do they call it? No strings attached?"

"No strings attached?" repeated Para.

"Yes," said Goten, "I mean... I'm not saying that I won't be there for you if you need me... for whatever reason imaginable, if you need me to lift heavy things or open jars or fix something in your house... but, I just really can't handle the titles of 'girlfriend' and 'boyfriend' right now. I can't even hear the words spoken without feeling a bit shaken up."

Para peeked inside Goten's head to hear his thoughts: _How can I call someone else my girlfriend when I'm still in love with Bra? Even a beautiful woman like Medea. She's just... she's just not a Super Saiyan princess, that's for sure. But I can't compare everyone to Bra or no one will ever measure up._

Para smiled at what she felt was a little show of loyalty to Bra on Goten's part. At least in a very small messed up way. It still warmed her heart to hear how much he loved her. She was sure that he would be hers again someday, once she was satisfied that he had learned his lesson. She continued to listen in.

_I know I should be trying to use Medea to move on. But I can't stop thinking about Bra. I wonder how long it took her to go Super Saiyan in the Time Chamber? I wonder just how hard Pan pushed her. Did she use her anger towards me as motivation? I wonder what it would be like to spar with her now? Hell, I wonder what it would be like to sleep with her now. Dende! She was amazing before, but now... now that she's discovered more power, I can't even imagine it would be like. Maybe like those crazy things Trunks always told me he did with Pan, we could finally... STOP IT, Goten!_

_Fantasizing about Bra every minute of every day is NOT cool, especially when you're walking in the forest with another girl. It's just wrong. Say something, Goten. Change the subject._

"I made a career change today," spurted Goten.

"Oh, really? I thought you worked at C.C. with Trunks?"

"Yes, well... we're having some issues with the company. I went to Mr. Satan, my sister-in-law's dad, and I asked him for a job. He has a new school he was starting up, and he's going to let me and Trunks be the masters of the dojo. There's going to be a focus on sword-training."

"Oh... that's interesting," remarked Para.

"You probably think it's stupid," said Goten with a blush, "I guess martial arts must not seem very important to you."

"No! I used to be very interested in martial arts when I was younger," she said, "But I fear I'm not very good at it."

"Well, let me teach you!" said Goten in excitement, dropping into a battle stance, "Let's spar!"

Para froze up, thinking that she should have taken more tranquilizer, "Oh, but I haven't in _so long_!"

She clutched her purse, feeling the extra vials of Etorphine through the fabric.

"I'll take it easy on you. Come on, try to hit me, Medea!"

_OK, Para. Be soft, be weak. Think... over-boiled soggy noodles. I am a wet limp noodle. Wet limp noodle._

"I am too nervous, Goten," _that I will reveal my awesome incredible power_. "Maybe you should hit me first."

"No, you first!"

"No, please, you first!"

"Awww, that's no fun. You have to try, come on!" he said, his eyes lighting up, even in the darkness.

_I am a wet limp noodle. I am a wet limp noodle._

"Alright. Here goes," she said, wincing as she made a loose fist and threw a slow sloppy punch at Goten's face.

He caught it easily with one hand and smiled at her, "Medea, you have to throw your whole body into it! And be quick!"

"Oh... really?" she laughed nervously, "I told you I'm terrible at this."

"You have good energy in your body," said Goten, "You must work out a lot? You would be a good fighter if you had more technique."

"Maybe you can teach me how to fight, Goten," she said, _Really? Do I really want to put myself through that? Why did I even say that?_

"I mean, maybe, if I have the time in my busy schedule," she corrected, _Time to waste, that is. Pretending very very hard to be weak._

"Sure! You could come to my sword-training school if you like, and be one of my first new pupils!"

Para couldn't help smiling because Goten looked so genuinely excited at the prospect. As they walked they had come to a scenic point where a little cliff overlooked a beautiful ravine. There was a little spot on the railing with binoculars and Para couldn't resist running to take a peek through them.

Goten came up behind her and slipped his arms around her, resting them just under her breasts. She bit her bottom lip and smiled, leaning back against him. Para remembered the images she'd seen of Goten sleeping in her bed. Why would he do something like that? He obviously missed her. He obviously loved her. She knew that she couldn't feel as strongly as she did about him without it being mutual. Their love had grown so strong over the years by feeding off one another. It was their own deep special connection. He did care. He must care.

Her mattress was really great, but it wasn't_ that _great.

The only reason she could conceive of him sneaking into her house to sleep in her bed was that he missed her. He missed their life together! Yet here he was, standing with another woman. Holding another woman. He should pay.

"It's really beautiful, isn't it?" asked Para.

Goten grasped her by the shoulders and spun her around, answering with a gentle kiss. She leaned her body against his, feeling the warmth of him through their clothing. He responded by deepening the kiss and she let him push her up against the railing which stood between her and the bottom of the cliff. She felt a small thrill of danger run through her at the height of the drop—even though there was no real danger at all. Both she and Goten could fly, after all.

Goten's kiss began to intensify, and she felt the lightheaded rush throw her off balance. As his hands roamed her body, she felt herself grow dizzy and weak in his arms.

It suddenly sunk in that she hadn't even kissed a man in a year. Her body was reacting more strongly than she could have imagined, and all her pent up hormones were starting to flow again. It could have been the effect of the simulator in her purse, or it could have been that the dinosaur tranquilizer was causing her to experience this fuzzy, clouded dreamlike state... or it could have just been Goten. His firm, demanding mouth on hers, and his careful expert hands touching her in the places she had dreamed about him touching every night in the Time Chamber. She was so hungry for him.

"Goten," she gasped out as his tongue and teeth assaulted her neck, while his hands kneaded into her hips and crushed her body against his. She moaned against him, and feeling a small warm rush of ki starting in her stomach she grasped him by the shoulders and moved to shove him against the railing to reverse who had dominance of the situation. But when she pushed Goten against the railing, she must have pushed a little bit too aggressively, for the railing broke.

Goten went tumbling off the side of the cliff.

"Oops," she muttered, smacking herself lightly in the forehead. Then she realizing that she should act concerned, she promptly began screaming, "GOTEN! Goten are you OK?"

She peeked over the side of the cliff and saw that Goten had fallen into a muddy swamp-like area. He stood up and flew back up to her.

Para held in her giggles at his soiled state and instead brought her hands up to her face in mock horror, "Oh, Goten! I'm so sorry, are you alright? Have you broken anything?"

_Then_ she remembered to act surprised about the fact that he was flying. (This whole deception thing was really challenging.)

"OH MY GOD, YOU'RE FLYING!" she exclaimed necessarily. "Goten, come here and let me check your body for broken bones."

"How did the railing break?" he asked as he landed in front of her. "That's really dangerous! Someone could have been hurt."

"The wood must have been rotten."

"It's metal."

"Then it rusted, I guess. I'll have to complain to park management! It's a miracle you're OK!"

Para ran her hands over his legs firmly feeling the bones for any breaks (although she knew there wouldn't be any) and then over his arms. She then moved to his ribcage (getting her hands completely covered in mud since he was so dirty) and ran her fingers over the bones gently.

"Does it hurt anywhere, Goten?" she asked dutifully.

"No," he said, "I'm fine."

"Thank goodness!" she said, throwing her arms around him and giving him a small hug. She quickly pulled away because she had gotten herself covered in mud from touching him. She smiled, reaching out to brush some of the mud away from Goten's cheek.

"Medea," he growled, catching her fingers in his hands. She looked at him in surprise as he quickly picked her up in his arms and dove off the cliff again.

She screamed and clung to him (as she figured she should) instead of powering up and flying on her own like she wanted to. By the time they reached the bottom, Goten's rapid descent had slowed, and he landed smoothly. He then gently bent down and deposited Para into the muddy water.

"Now we're even!" said Goten laughing, "You pushed me off a cliff and got me all dirty, and I did the same to you."

She looked up at him in surprise, "You scared me half to death!"

She did the first thing that came to mind. She reached into the mud which she sat in, and she took a clump in her hands and tossed it into Goten's face. It hit his face with a plop, and slid down slowly. He blinked, and wiped the mud away from his nose and mouth.

"Why! You little... now you're going to get it." Goten tackled her into the mud. Naturally, a mud wrestling fight ensued. Goten held back almost all of his power so that he didn't easily overpower her (as he believed he could if he were wrestling with his normal strength) and she did the same.

Goten reached for a clump of mud and shoved it down the front of her dress, using his hands to spread it all around her breasts which made her screech, "How dare you!"

While he did this, she yanked at the waistband of his pants and boxers with one hand and used her other hand to shovel mud into his shorts.

"Ew! That's just evil!" remarked Goten as he shuddered and stopped slathering her so he could wrestle her hands forcefully above her head. He held them there and gazed down at her playfully.

Their eyes met, and they were both filled with laughter. Goten was the first to speak, and he declared, "It's time for payback."

Holding Para's hands pinned to the ground with one hand, he reached down and gripped her dress and began to slide it off her.

"No, no," she said, mock-struggling, "This park is pretty public! You'll embarrass me!"

He ignored her protests and slipped the dress off her, leaving her only in her matching yellow bra and panties. Goten then proceeded to grab giant chunks of mud and to deposit them on her stomach before massaging the mud over every inch of her skin. She squirmed and protested the whole time, but she couldn't deny that Goten's hands felt nice on her—heck! Even the mud felt nice.

She couldn't resist laughing at the childlike impromptu mud-wrestling event.

Her watch vibrated against her wrist. She had modified it from a beep to a vibrate in the Time Chamber. She was disappointed that she would have to cut their antics short. Unless...

"Goten, this is not fair!" she said, pouting, "You're too strong and I can't win against you. You have to take your clothes off too and let me lather you."

"No way!" he said laughing, "I'm covered in enough mud. Besides, I'm painting you."

He slowly drew his fingers in circles over her body, creating little designs in the mud. His fingertips traced squiggles and circles and various geometric patterns. She would have liked nothing more than to let him continue, but she was a woman on a deadline. A fusion deadline.

Para smiled, and slipped out of his grasp before hooking his legs with her own and tripping him into the mud. She pinned him to the ground in much the same way he had pinned her, except that he was facedown. She straddled him and began to tug his clothes off.

"Medea!" he protested while laughing.

She smirked, "Payback sure is sweet, isn't it Goten? You've gotten me all dirty. You're a very naughty boy."

She bit her lip in glee as she tugged his shorts off, and she slapped large chunks of mud onto his rear before lathering him thoroughly.

"What are you doing?" asked Goten, but he was laughing, "Please don't tell me you're going to..."

_**THWAP!**_

Her hand came down hard onto his buttocks.

"Say you're sorry, mister!" Para demanded

"Medea... I'm sorry! Please don't..."

_**THWAP!**_

"You haven't convinced me," she said, leaning close to his ear and speaking in a husky voice. "Say it like you mean it!"

_**THWAP!**_

"I really didn't mean to get you dirty! I just..."

_**THWAP!**_

"liked the thought of us getting dirty together..."

_**THWAP!**_

"OW! Whoa, Medea, you must be strong, I actually felt...

_**THWAP!**_

"OK! OK! I'm really very sorry! Please forgive me for putting you in the mud and getting you dirty, I won't do it again!"

She stopped spanking him and leaned over him so that her breasts grazed his back before kissing his cheek and whispering, "That's better. Good boy, Goten."

Goten inwardly wondered how Medea knew that he liked to play these types of kinky games. Sometimes Bra used to dress up and role-play with him, and he had especially liked it when spanking was involved.

Para pressed her body against Goten's seductively and she murmured, "Hey, wait here, OK? I have a surprise for you."

"Sure, Medea."

"Close your eyes," she said softly.

Goten felt a thrill of excitement. Normally when Bra told him she had a surprise for him, it was something really good. He wondered what Medea had planned. Would she be undressing? Would she let him make love to her in the forest?

She snuck away and picked up his clothing from where she had tossed it, leaving only his cell phone. She then raised two fingers to her forehead and disappeared.

Goten continued to lie there for several minutes, waiting, naked and covered in mud.

"Um, Medea?" he asked, "How much longer do I have to wait here?"

Goten peeked open one eye and looked around. He saw no sign of the mysterious maiden. He scratched his head and began to search for her, "Medea? Is everything OK?"

He decided it wasn't a good idea to be seen walking around naked, and he moved to where he thought his clothing should be.

"That's funny... I thought..."

Goten frowned, seeing his cell phone there, but his clothing gone. He bent over to pick up his cell phone and heard a scream erupt from behind him.

"PERVERT!" screamed an extremely wrinkled old lady who had evidently been walking her three dogs in the park. She was a hideously shrunken crone of at least 90 years, and all three of her dogs began to bark furiously at Goten.

"No! No! This isn't what it looks like!" said Goten, turning around and holding up both of his hands to calm her (and the dogs)—in the pose one might use if a gun were pointed at him.

"Oh..." the old lady pushed her glasses up her nose and took a good look at Goten's goodies, "Dear me! If that isn't the finest piece of meat I've ever seen!"

Goten suddenly remembered to cover himself, and used both hands in embarrassment, "Ma'am, would you happen to have seen my clothes anywhere?"

"No, darlin', and even if I had I sure wouldn't tell you where they were! Hehehe," she cackled, stepping closer to Goten to get a better view, "It's times like these I don't mind that all my ex-husbands are dead."

"Uhm, well, have you seen a beautiful young girl around here? Covered in mud?"

"I'm not very young, but I could get covered in mud if you wanted me to be."

"NO! No, p... please. Th... thank you, ma'am for your help..." Goten grabbed his cell phone and quickly began to run away from the old woman. He looked down at his phone, thinking that he should call Medea to find her, but then he saw a text message.

_Sorry, Goten. I saw someone coming and I dived into the bushes. They nearly found me and I ran away because this public indecency could ruin my career. I hope you don't get into trouble, but I really couldn't stay and risk it._

Goten immediately felt guilty that he had placed Medea in such a precarious position. He was so used to being in the isolated wilderness forests near his home that he'd completely forgotten that they were in a park in the middle of a busy city. He searched for Medea's ki but couldn't find it. He frantically began to text back.

_This was completely my fault. I grew up in the isolated area around 439 East District and_

Goten abruptly stopped text messaging when he heard a high-pitched scream and giggle. He looked up and realized to his dismay that he had been standing in the middle of a park road completely butt naked and still covered in generous portions of mud. The mud had begun to dry since he had run away from the old woman at a relatively high speed. While Goten had been staring at his phone, a group of girls who appeared to be middle-school aged had walked by Goten's gruesomely caked body while giggling profusely. One of them stopped and pulled out a camera, and when Goten saw the flash his eyes widened and he immediately blasted into the air to fly home. He needed to find some clothing.

The girls screamed when he disappeared so quickly.

"Oh my god, Stacy, he can fly!" shouted one of the girls.

"I got the photo! What a physique! Maybe he's something supernatural? What was all over his body, scales? Maybe he's a swamp monster and he lives here in the pond!"

"Oh my god! If swamp monsters can fly and send text messages we're all doomed! You better send that photo to the newspapers so they warn everyone there's an intelligent text-messaging monster here!"

"A very sexy text-messaging monster," added one of the girls dreamily.

* * *

As soon as the girls un-fused in the basement of Para's new house, Pan ran for the sink and emptied a bottle of soap on her hands before rubbing vigorously.

"Really, Bra? Really?"

"Hey, don't judge me..."

"I'm not JUDGING you per se, I just wasn't aware that you enjoyed SPANKING my uncle and I would appreciate a heads up next time before you commandeer MY body and MY hands to spank him. Do you understand what kind of permanent psychological damage you have inflicted on me?"

Bra giggled, "Oh, but Panny! How could I resist spanking that fine ass of his..."

"NO!" Pan plugged her ears with her still-soapy dripping wet hands, "Please! No more! I will have a seizure! I will develop epilepsy and have an epileptic seizure on the spot."

"Don't be so theatrical," said Bra laughing. Then noticing that Pan was covering her ears and humming a tune, Bra resorted to telepathy, _You know you liked it. Doesn't Goten have the most perfect little..._

"NO!" shouted Pan, "Just you wait until tomorrow when we see Trunks. I'm going to make Para do the most INSANELY SEXUAL things possible with him and you will be humiliated forever."

"You wouldn't!" Bra accused, "You wouldn't stray too far from our plan."

"We'll see," said Pan with an evil glint in her eye. The look quickly disappeared as her face was transformed by a giant yawn, "But sleep comes first! I am so exhausted."

"Could you teleport us back to my place?" asked Bra, "I'm sleepy too."

"Sure," said Pan, "But if I have nightmares of spanking my uncle you're paying for my therapy."

* * *

See, guys! I'm nice. No cliff-hangers—why hang off the cliff when we can just fall off it?

Apparently in Dragonball Online which Akira Toriyama was heavily involved in, Trunks and Goten open a sword-training school where they teach how to channel ki through swords. That's how I chose the career change of the guys.

Now for my thank yous! I couldn't have finished the chapter without all of these fine folks:

**Anmylica**: Thank you again for all your help with this! Every time you encourage me to update I really do buckle down and get to work. You're the very very best, and I can't wait to see if you liked this chapter! Oh, and I would like to add that you are amazingly beautiful and Para would probably be jealous if she met you. =)

**jazzyfizzler**: I don't think you need to learn to channel your ki to have those amazing orgasms! I think it's all in training those pelvic muscles, but that's just theory. HA! Your comments on Goten being obsessed with Trunks made me crack up. It made me think of when Goten and Trunks are flying to see the "wizard" in the Buu saga and Goten begs Trunks to let him stop and take a leak. Then Trunks relents and gives him "permission" and then joins him and brags that he can write his name with his pee... and they both start writing "TRUNKS" and Trunks has to correct Goten and tell him to write his own name! LOL! I'm soooo happy you like the hair technique. I was trying hard to give the girls an original battle style. Gotenks gets a whole episode to show off his "Super Moves" and in my story so does Para! Woot! LOVE your reaction to naughty Videl. I hope you are satisfied with my cliff-dropping of Goten. =) That one's just for you. I also dropped him in the mud, so I hope that earns me extra points.

**dolce-bebe:** Hehehe. In your review, you said: "that man really does think with his dick and his stomach! bra really needs to beat him up a little or maybe a lot!" I hope the naughty spanking will do for now! More punishment to come later. =)

**Kinomiya:** Thank you a BILLION times for your wonderful reviews on the last two chapters! I am so delighted to see that you're excited about the possibility of a new enemy and all the possible directions the story could take. I really hope I don't disappoint you!

**Hanako:** Honestly, you are such a darling. Thank you for sharing your personal experience in your review... it's so touching that the story made you think of your own relationship. I am writing this story after a bad breakup myself, it's kind of my way of working through it. I'm trying to make something productive of all the anger and negative emotions by writing them down. Thank you for your lovely review!

**Leecassi:** Hehehe, a "sweet dickhead!" Congratulations on being the first person ever in the history of the English language to put those two words together! =D So very thrilled that you're enjoying the story.

**Suzki:** So happy you like Para so much. Hope you enjoyed the sexy Para action here!

**LNCrow:** ! Your review had me walking on air! I am so glad you care so much about the story, it means so much to hear you say that! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I will definitely include more Goten/Bra action in time to come. ^-^ I would love to read your story! Your email address doesn't show up in the review, but we can send messages through the website. =)

**famoso:** I'm really glad you think Pan did the right thing. I hope to try and make Trunks learn his lesson to the best of my ability! Thank you for your kind review.

**gina31486:** Don't worry, I have something much better than Dr. Winters, or random guys planned for our girls. =D You won't be disappointed, and the boys will be incredibly, incredibly jealous. I just have to keep writing and get to that part of the story. Sorry this update wasn't as quick as the others! The next one should be up shortly though. Thanks for suggesting those stories! I read "Petrified Tears" not too long ago, and I enjoyed it, but wish that more action happened outside of the office. When you're writing with two characters who can go ANYWHERE it seems a blasphemy to keep them cooped up in an office! Hehe. Thanks again for reviewing!

**Elyseexp:** Thank you for your compliment on my story being different! I am so glad you're enjoying it!

**18katrina:** I'm so sorry I have been neglecting Loud Silence! Chapter 35 has been challenging to write because it consists solely of letters, so I have to try to capture Pan's voice, Bra's voice, and the guys and make it sound all different. I gave myself a bit of a challenge that way, but I'm going to push to get it done very soon! Thank you for your feedback on this story as well! I can't believe you print it, that is such a huge compliment and it cheers me up to know my writing is worthwhile to you! =)

**Supersaiyan2479:** Thanks for your feedback! Keep up the great work on _Death Heart_!

**WingedKiller:** Hehe, I'm glad you like the G/B! Things will eventually smooth out between them. I really enjoyed your latest G/B!

**The0Blind0Writer:** You're absolutely right; classic Bra would probably be a bit more emotional about seeing Goten in her bed. I was trying to convey that she underwent a pretty drastic change in the Time Chamber which has made her somewhat tougher. =)

**Ken Trunks:** Thank you for your sweet review! Don't worry, Trunks and Pan are meant to be together. =D

**SpicyShani:** Woot! It's lovely to know you like the relationship between the girls! I put a lot of effort into writing their friendship. ^-^ Thanks for the feedback on naughty Goten, I can't wait to hear what you think of his little "punishment."

**DaBigWilliG**: Thank you for your reviews on both this story and on Loud Silence! I added the Vegeta/Pan fight scene flashback at your request. =)

**Arian**: Thank you! I agree about the rough start. I didn't intend for this story to be so epic and was just trying to get the idea down at the beginning. It is largely due to reader response that I decided to take my time and give it a greater effort.

**Talk Smith Kid**: Thanks for the feedback! So glad you like Para's dedication. =)

**mali86**: Thanks for your review!

**The-lastsaiyan1991**: Thank you so much for reviewing chapters 5 and 6! I hope you get a chance to read the rest sometime soon.

**mumz3l-Neskouiik-Bura**: Thank you!

* * *

Give me some sugar, baby!

You'd better review unless you want a spanking.

V


	12. Better to Know

_Chapter Twelve: Better to Know_

Sorry for the unforgiveable lack of Trunks-ness in the last chapter. I almost wonder if that was the most Trunks-less chapter I've ever written!

I will be updating my Facebook with my writing progress, so if you like you can add me as a friend or like my fanpage. My name is "Nadia Scrieva" and you can also check out my website for more of my writing at NadiaScrieva dot com. =)

Enjoy!

~PanHopeNvs~

* * *

"Mommy, why do I still have to sit in the baby seat while Olive gets to sit in the front?" complained a tanned young girl with jet-black hair and sky blue eyes. Her older sister, with a similar appearance was working at trying to unlatch her from the safety seat while her mother took care of her baby brother.

"_Because_ Nyssa, I'm older and you're just a baby like Oren!"

"I am _not_ a baby! I'm _NOT_! I can chop you up with a Destructor Disk. Just one chop and SPLIT!" the little girl made hand motions to illustrate her words, "Off goes your head."

"It's _Destructo _Disk, and you can't even cut a piece of _paper_ in half with that weak attack."

"You two, stop fighting!" complained Marron as she lifted her small son out of the pink SUV and into her arms, "I told you two girls to stay at home with Grandma and Grandpa while mommy goes to see her friends, but you just had to come along! If you don't try to be nice to each other we're all getting right back into the car and going home, do you understand?"

"Yes, mommy."

Marron glared at the girls before turning and walking up the steps to Bra's front door. She shifted Oren in her arms and pressed the doorbell. The girls followed her quietly, and stood around her legs, making faces at each other which they believed escaped Marron's notice.

Sighing, Marron continued to press the doorbell, and when that failed she begun to knock loudly on the door.

"Maybe they're not home?" suggested Olive.

"Oh, they're home," said Marron impatiently. She flipped out her cell phone and dialled Bra's number. When there was no answer she became very frustrated.

Marron looked down at the kids again, "Who wants to play a game with mommy?"

"I do, I do!" called out Olive and Nyssa together.

"Alright, girls—mommy's going to count to three, and when she reaches three, you both have to scream as loud as you can and raise your ki as high as possible!"

"Ooooh! I like that game," said Olive smugly. "I can always make my energy bigger than Nyssa can."

"CAN NOT!" said Nyssa, sticking her tongue out at her older sister.

"No fighting, girls! We're playing together, got it? " When the kids nodded, Marron smiled. "Alright, ready? One... Two... Three... GO!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the two little girls screamed at the top of their lungs, and little white auras surrounded them. Marron smiled proudly at her daughters, and hugged Oren closer to her as he cooed in excitement and wiggled in her arms. He could sense that something was up with his sisters, but he couldn't quite make sense of it.

In a split second after the girls had powered up, the front door was opened by a sleepy Super Saiyan.

"AUNTIE PAN! AUNTIE PAN!" screamed the kids, launching themselves at her.

Pan was surprised for a second, but then when the two little energetic tykes tackled her with full force she couldn't help but giggle at the cuteness. They began to pull her hair and clothing excitedly while talking at the same time.

"Look at you two! Olive, Nyssa, you've grown so much. And you've gotten so powerful!" said Pan happily as she hugged them both.

"Daddy trains us every day!" said Olive proudly, "Every single morning and every single night!"

"Wow! No wonder you're so tough, Olive," said Pan with a grin as she tousled the young girl's hair.

"Grandpa Krillen too!" shouted Nyssa, not wanting to be left out. "Grandpa Krillen trains us for the _whole_ rest of the day! When we finish studying with mommy, that is. I can do a Destructor Disk and OLIVE CAN'T!"

"CAN TOO!" retorted Olive, "Besides, Grandma Eighteen said that was her 'weakling husband's weakling attack' and she could show me much better!"

Pan laughed in delight, "Nyssa, you'll have to show me that attack sometime! I bet it's really deadly."

"I can show you now, Auntie..."

"Not in the house, dear," scolded Marron firmly.

Pan smiled, "Did I ever tell you girls how my Grandpa Goku left to train with your daddy when I was just a little girl about your age?"

"No, tell us! Tell us the story!" screeched Nyssa as she bounded onto Pan's shoulders.

Olive tried to act more mature although she was just as excited, "Grandpa Krillen said that Mr. Goku was his best friend in the whole universe! Our Grandpas are bestest friends, Auntie Pan?"

"Yes, Olive, that's right," said Pan, her eyes becoming a little misty as she thought of her grandfather. Her eyes drifted to the ceiling as she searched for the massive ki in the distance, and she prayed it was him, even though it did not feel like his energy at all. Maybe eleven years had caused a significant change in his ki? Unlikely. But if it was, instead, a threat, surely Goku would reappear in time to help out?

Pan had been angry and sad for most of the decade that Goku had left to train with Uub and abandoned his family, but in the end Goku had been right. Maybe this time he was right to leave as well. Back then, Uub's powers had needed to be developed, and he had been an invaluable warrior in every battle since. Now he passed his skills and powers on to his three young children, training them to be the next defenders of earth. Although the family was human, the girls were strong, and the baby in Marron's arms possessed just as high of a ki as his sisters. When little Oren grew up he would be a force to be reckoned with.

"Auntie Pan!" yelled Nyssa as she tightened her arms around Pan's neck, "Mommy came to tell you about the monster!"

Pan froze then, and her smile disappeared, "Monster?"

"Yeah!" screamed Olive, "There's a big scary monster, and mommy said he's a realllllllly bad guy and that she needed you to take care of him!"

Pan looked at Marron questioningly as Bra finally trudged down the stairs, having finally been awoken by the commotion and the unusual kis in the house.

"Good morning, girls," said Bra with a yawn as she sleepily descended the staircase with her eyes still closed.

"Auntie Bra!" squealed the girls as they rushed to hug Bra. They weren't as violent with her as they had been with Pan, for they classified Pan as the 'sparring aunt' and Bra as the 'shopping aunt' who was more gentle, like their mother. The classification was slightly outdated, however.

Bra smiled and hugged each of the girls and told them how beautiful they were before approaching her friend.

"So, Marron. What brings you here before the cocks have crowed?"

"Mommy, what's a cock?" said Olive inquisitively.

"A rooster!" said Marron quickly in panic, glaring at Bra, "Auntie Bra meant to say 'rooster'... which is a male chicken who sings in the morning."

"Ohhhh," said Olive, before turning to the sleepy blue-haired saiyan, "Auntie Bra, are you going to fight the bad monster too?"

Bra snapped fully awake then and she looked to Pan and Marron's faces for signs of danger, "Monster? What monster?"

"Girls, can you go and play out by the seaside for a little while?" asked Marron, "Mommy needs to talk with her friends."

"OK," said the girls compliantly as they raced out of the house.

"Let's sit down," said Pan, gesturing to Bra's living room. The girls entered and took their seats on the sofas around the room.

"Oh, wow! Oren's getting so big. He looks so much like his dad," commented Bra, a bit jealous and in awe of the adorable baby in Marron's arms. Oren had dark skin which contrasted with his sky blue eyes and fair hair.

"He can almost walk a few steps without falling," said Marron proudly, and she placed her little boy on the carpet. He immediately began to crawl around curiously, and everyone smiled as they watched him explore.

"He's a little champion!" declared Pan, "I bet he'll be competing in the junior division alongside his sisters in a few years."

"Now you sound like Uub," said Marron with a laugh, "My husband is just obsessed with that tournament. Since he met Goku there so many years ago the experience changed his life and he's convinced the tournament is the best thing that's ever happened to him. When Olive won the juniors last year and Nyssa came in second, Uub was so happy he took us all on vacation. And trust me—Uub is so cheap, growing up in a poor village where food is scarce, going on vacation was a BIG DEAL for us."

"I bet your mom was pretty happy about that too," said Pan, "I know she saved the money from her tournament winnings and used it take care of you when you were a kid."

"Are you kidding? My mom went NUTS and it's all she's spoken about since then! She loves the girls more than anything and she can't believe how much they love to fight. The kids are heaven on earth for us. I can't believe I made them."

Oren tried to walk a few steps before he promptly fell flat on his face, earning affectionate laughter from all three women.

"Did you hurt the floor, Oren?" Pan asked with a chuckle as the baby sat up and rubbed his incredibly small nose in confusion.

"I wanted to have one of those, Marron," said Bra, softly. "I really did. But now... it doesn't look like it's going to happen..."

"Nonsense, Bra-chan," said Marron firmly, "I didn't have Olive until I was 30 years old. I thought I was old THEN, and now I'm 37 with two more kids. You're only 27, so you have plenty of time... much more time than me because of those wonderful saiyan genes. You'll probably have the body of a 30 year old when you're 70, like your dad."

"Thanks," said Bra softly, with a smile, "But I'm 28 now actually—I just spent a year in the Time Chamber. And worst of all, I wasted the last five years of my life on someone who didn't care enough to stay with me."

"That's exactly why I'm here," said Marron, as her smile disappeared and her expression became serious. She pulled her pink alligator-skin purse off her shoulder and immediately withdrew a newspaper from it. "I think I should cut to the chase. I have some things I want to share with you both."

Pan took the newspaper from Marron and tried to keep her face expressionless as she saw the image and headlines. She quickly skimmed over the article, and shook her head in disbelief. She stood up and tossed the newspaper to Bra.

"I'm going to make some tea," said Pan, leaving the room.

When Bra looked down at the newspaper she was not as successful and smiled immediately upon seeing the photograph. How could she resist? It was too priceless.

_**SYCAMORE PARK SWAMP MONSTER ATTACKS ELDERLY WOMAN**_

_For decades there have been rumours of a swamp monster rising out of the mud on foggy nights in Sycamore Park, but for the first time a group of young students were able to capture a photograph of the creature. He looks to be an extremely muscular human-like beast covered completely in scales, and everyone is on alert in the surrounding area to keep their children indoors._

_The monster is reported to be able to fly and to send text messages. An elderly woman who spoke to the monster indicated that he is actively seeking young naked girls..._

Bra couldn't help it. She began to laugh.

If it wasn't enough that a naked Goten, covered in mud was on the front page of the newspaper, the article was doubly hilarious. Little Oren heard Bra's laughter and crawled towards her. Smiling curiously, the baby tried to grasp her knees to help him stand.

Bra put the newspaper down and put her hands under the baby's arms, lifting him onto her lap, and cuddling him, "Your Uncle Goten is crazy, isn't he Oren? Uncle Goten is so crazy!"

Oren cooed happily as if in agreement.

"So what did you two do to him?" asked Marron bluntly, with her eyes narrowed at Bra.

"Us?" remarked Bra innocently as she gently tickled a giggling Oren, "We didn't do anything! Goten's just gone off the deep end lately, obviously."

"Bra," said Marron firmly, in warning, "Do not play dumb with me."

Pan entered the room with three cups of tea and a teapot on a serving platter, and she quickly poured tea for Marron, "So what's the deal with showing us the article, Marron?"

"I know you two are responsible for it."

"Us?" said Pan just as innocently as Bra had. "We just got out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber yesterday and we were dead tired. We couldn't have found the energy to cook, much less execute a complicated prank."

"Like I honestly believe that? This has 'Bra and Pan' written all over it," scolded Marron, "You can't fool your babysitter, you know. I'm the one you practiced on."

Bra and Pan laughed lightly at the memories which came to them. Pan looked at her blonde friend and spoke seriously, "Then you should know that this isn't our style, Marron. We're much more subtle, and much more devastating."

"Remember that time we spiked your orange juice and made you pass out?" asked Bra.

"And then we put you on the bathroom floor, and emptied three bottles of ketchup all over the place!" added Pan, also snickering.

"You think it's so funny," muttered Marron, "When I woke up I thought I'd been gang-raped."

"You screamed for about ten minutes!"

Bra and Pan erupted in laughter at the memory, and Marron tried to look angry, but she couldn't help joining in.

Pan had spilled some of her tea onto her pyjamas and she patted it away, "Oh, oh, what about the time we took your underwear and..."

"No!" shouted Marron, "You can't talk about that one in front of Oren. He hears everything, you know."

"That's right," said Bra, hugging the baby, "Oren is a smart little toddler, isn't he!"

Bra engaged herself in baby-talking with Marron's son while Marron fished into her pink alligator-skin purse again.

"There's one more thing, ladies," said Marron, removing a large colour photograph and holding it up for the girls to see.

It was a photograph of Para.

It had been taken the night before, and it was of Para kissing Goten on the scenic point cliff. Pan and Bra looked at it in shock.

_Dende, Pan. Do you think she knows?_

_How did she get that photograph? I would have sensed her nearby. A bunch of humans walked by, but not Marron..._

_This is bad. This is very bad, _thought Bra as she set Oren down on the floor.

"I'm sorry," said Marron, resting the photograph down on Bra's coffee table, "I didn't mean to break it to you like this, but Bulma hired me to investigate the woman that Trunks was seeing."

"I thought... that you... weren't working anymore, Marron," said Pan slowly and carefully.

"Oh, well of course it's hard to work with three young children... but sometimes when someone needs me I'll do a little private investigating here and there," Marron looked down at the photograph of Para and she sipped her tea. "I initially told Bulma that I wouldn't do it... but when I found out that Goten and Trunks were _both_ seeing this girl, it became personal."

Bra and Pan looked at each other, and remained silent.

"I began thinking," said Marron as she rose to her feet and began to pace in the living room, "Since when in known HISTORY have Goten and Trunks liked the same woman?"

"Since you," Bra offered.

"Yes. They both dated me, but other than me, they have NEVER found the same woman attractive. Are you with me?"

"Unfortunately," said Pan, leaning back and crossing her arms.

"Goten likes sweet, innocent girls, with a subtle bossy streak in their character. He likes to be the protector, but he also likes for the woman to lead in some respects. Trunks prefers women who constantly challenge him, women who are mentally, maybe even physically on par with any man. The most important factor to him is a deep solid friendship."

"Why are you telling us this?" asked Bra with a frown.

"Yeah, let's skip the recap," added Pan. "I don't want to think about this any more than necessary."

"Something's not right here," declared Marron, "Why would Trunks cheat on you, Pan? Why would Goten leave you, Bra? I'll tell you why. SHE has something to do with it. I know it's HER fault, and I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

"Marron..." began Pan softly.

The blonde woman suddenly slammed her teacup down and leaned forward.

"Look, girls. After years of working on the force I know one thing for sure. No one is spotless. Everyone has done something criminal, something despicable. There's no way you can live your whole life without making a few major screw ups. There's no way anyone, including this beautiful 'Medea' can live a whole lifetime without accumulating a few deep dark secrets."

_Unless she hasn't lived a whole lifetime, _Bra communicated to Pan. _If Marron starts digging she will find out about Para's lack of past. She'll find us out, Pan. If it were anyone else I wouldn't be too worried about them figuring it out, but I know Marron and she's ruthless. I hid our tracks as best as I could, but Marron won't stop until she knows everything._

_Should we tell her the truth? _Pan suggested. _She is our friend._

_No way. We can't trust anyone._

"I will find out what she's done and I will get that little bit..." Marron paused and looked down at her baby, and decided to instead spell out the letters, "I will get that B-I-T-C-H for you girls. I will take whatever dirt there is on her, and I will ruin her. I will make sure she spends some time in prison, and has to shave that gorgeous hair of hers off, I will..."

"Marron," interjected Pan more firmly, "Trunks didn't cheat on me with that girl. He only just started seeing her a few days ago. He cheated on me over a month ago with a CEO of a rival company who was blackmailing him. We've been broken up ever since. I walked in on them together..."

"Oh, Dende," whispered Marron, "I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me, Panny? What did you do to her?"

Pan remained silent and looked at Bra who winced. It was never easy to tell your friend who had worked in Law Enforcement that you had murdered someone.

"Let me rephrase that question: Is she alive?" asked Marron.

Pan shook her head to indicate the negative response.

Marron chewed her lip, "And what about Goten? Was he seeing this girl before your relationship ended?"

"No," answered Bra, waving her hand, "Goten didn't cheat, he just... had a bunch of insecurities, I guess."

"I didn't know things were this bad," said Marron sympathetically, sitting down again with a sigh. "I should spend more time with you both. Maybe I can take you girls out for drinks sometime? I can't drink myself because I'm still breastfeeding Oren..."

"No, Mar, that's fine," said Pan with a smile, "Bra and I are over it. For us, it's been a year since all of that happened. The Hyperbolic Time Chamber was really intense, and it made us forget all about the guys."

"Uh huh," said Marron, raising her eyebrows to indicate that she wasn't convinced. Oren had crawled over to her ankles and was holding his arms up, and Marron dutifully picked him up and held him against her.

"Anyway, my instincts tell me something fishy is going on here, and it has something to do with _her_," Marron glared at the photograph on the table. "I had a detective friend of mine spying on Goten and Medea last night, and I have placed the boys and her house under surveillance. I am taking this job for Bulma, and by the end of the week I'll know everything there is to know about that woman. I guarantee that."

"Don't waste your time," said Bra, in what she hoped was a casual manner. "I honestly don't care what Goten does with his free time anymore. Please Marron... don't take the job."

"I'm not buying that, Bra-chan," said Marron as she rocked Oren gently. "I know you loved Goten and I remember how happy you two were. I know you're not going to let this all go without a fight, or without some sort of drama and explosions... and _Pan_. Don't even let me get started on you, Pan. If I know you, you're probably thinking up some intricate plan to exact revenge on both Trunks AND Goten. All I'm asking is that you two let me help in the only way I can—by digging up dirt on their new girlfriend and locking her up."

"No, Marron," said Pan, slightly surprised by her friend's stellar judgement. She almost felt guilty as she forced the lies out of her mouth, "We don't want to get revenge. Don't dig up anything on that girl, because I really don't want to know anything about her. Just let them be. Let them all be. Boys will be boys."

Marron stared at Pan in shock, "What happened to the Pan I knew? I find it hard to believe that you can KILL one woman because Trunks is with her and completely ignore the next one. It must be your guilt. Well, don't worry... just leave this to me, and I'll take care of it."

"I'll give you the money," Bra blurted out, "Whatever my mom is offering you to investigate this woman, I'll pay you double to spend time with your kids instead."

Marron smiled, "That's kind of you, sweetie. But this isn't about the money. It's a personal vendetta of mine. And you can't buy me out. I feel it's better to know what's going on than to be in the dark."

"That's always been my personal motto, you two know that. It's better to know." Marron stood up with Oren in her arms, and turned to leave, but then she stopped and turned back, "I'm so sorry for you girls. I sure am lucky I ended up with Uub! I can't imagine what life would be like if I'd ended up with Trunks or Goten... those damned bast... B-A-S-T-A-R-D-S."

When she left, Pan and Bra looked at each other weakly.

"What are we going to do? What if she finds out? She'll ruin everything," said Pan.

Bra ran her fingers through her hair, glancing at the photograph on the table, "Maybe she won't find out. She might find out Para has no history, but she won't be able to connect her to us. I'm pretty sure she won't be able to."

"If she's keeping Para's house under surveillance along with the guys," added Pan, "We need to be extra careful when we go out with Trunks for lunch. But for now I think I'm going to make breakfast then see if I can get in a few hours of training in with your dad."

"I'll probably go to the mall and then fool around in the lab for a while. I'll meet you back here before lunch."

* * *

"Thank you so much for coming, Medea. You look lovely as always. I ordered us coffee while I waited, I hope that's alright. May I take your shawl?"

She nodded, letting him remove the garment from her shoulders and hang it on the hooks near their circular private booth.

"Thank you, Trunks," she said, as they took their seats beside each other. Para scanned the despondent thoughts in his mind and observed his dejected posture. She glanced at his features, pained by the sad look on his face. She wanted to reach out to hug him, but she thought better of it.

She said instead, "I'm pleased to see that you're all in one piece."

"Am I really?" asked Trunks with mild amusement. A distant look came into his blue eyes as he attested, "It doesn't feel that way."

As she stared at his sad countenance she couldn't resist scooting closer. Para smirked and hesitantly reached out and placed her finger on Trunks' forehead, right at his hairline where the hair parted and fell to both sides.

"And how..." she began, tracing her finger down slowly, over his forehead and nose, over his lips and chin, "Does it..."

She continued tracing her finger down over his neck, between his collarbones and between his pectoral muscles, "Feel?"

Her finger continued to slide down, stopping when it poked into his bellybutton, "Because, Trunks. It feels to me like you're in one piece."

"You haven't felt all of me yet," he answered.

A glimmer came into her eyes and she answered in a low conspiratorial tone, "And pray tell, what would I find if I did?"

"A man broken into a million pieces," he declared, sending her a hopeless look as he returned to nursing his coffee. _Pan mercilessly ripped me apart. How could she say those things?_

"Then you're having lunch with the right girl," said Para reassuringly. "I'm completely qualified to put you back together. I do perfect stitches."

"I wish it were that easy. She saw the pictures of us in the paper," said Trunks mournfully, "She was the only girl I ever really loved. And she no longer trusts me."

"Oh no," said Para, "I'm so sorry." _Sorry that I trusted you to begin with._

"She told me she wanted us to 'see other people,'" he said in a monotonic voice, staring at Para with zombie-like eyes. _But how could she have said that? She said she didn't want me, she said that she wanted anyone but me... yet I don't believe it. Her kiss said "I need you," and the look in her tear-filled eyes said "I love you" just as loudly as her voice was declaring "I don't want you"—it doesn't make sense! Why would she do this to me?_

"My goodness. I feel so... responsible for all this!" said Para sadly. She looked away to conceal her expression. _Completely__ responsible_. She knew Trunks would take her evasive behaviour as genuine remorse.

"Medea," said Trunks, gently encircling her shoulders in an affectionate embrace, "Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Those words didn't come out of your mouth, they came out of hers."

_The very same dirty little mouth. Don't you recognize it? _thought Para as she leaned into Trunks to offer him comfort by rubbing his arm.

He breathed out a sigh at the contact, "Thank you for meeting with me to console me. I really needed it. I really needed to hear a kind voice. I feel like the whole world is against me right now."

"I'm so sorry about the date, and the papers," spoke Para, "If I had known you were already in love, I never would have gone out with you to endanger your relationship."

"It wasn't your fault," said Trunks again, "I ruined things long before I even met you. But for some reason, when I kissed you... I just had this amazing feeling, and I remembered my first kiss with Pan. Then I realized I wasn't over her, like I'd been pretending to be. I tried to propose to her, but it was too late. She rejected me."

Para took his hand and squeezed it gently, "It's never too late. Maybe she just needs time."

"SINCE SHE WAS BORN!" shouted Trunks angrily, making Para flinch and recoil at the sudden explosion. "That's HOW LONG I've been saving her sorry neck from all the dangerous situations she puts herself into! Jumping in front of her to take all the fire and all the blasts, all the blows which were too much for her to handle! I saved her life about a million times and I'm not even being CLOSE to metaphorical here."

"Maybe you shouldn't have," said Para far too softly, and she let go of her coffee cup as it began to crack under the grip of her fingers, "Doesn't the girl already have a father? Besides. From the way you and Goten talk about her, I would think she could handle some of those blasts on her own."

Trunks nodded, taking a deep breath to calm himself, "Yes... well. You're very perceptive. She probably could have handled some of that fire on her own, but..."

"So you were protecting her for your own ego, not because she needed it?"

"NO! For Kami's sake, I was even turned to metal for her!"

"THAT doesn't count," said Para coldly. Then she realized what she had said. _Well, it doesn't count, because you did it on purpose as part of a plan with Giru that you didn't even TELL ME ABOUT. And I cried for you and tried so hard to get you back._

"That doesn't count," she corrected quickly, "because regardless of how vivid your dreams or imagination are, no one can really be turned to metal... and obviously you must have been turned back to human from metal, which is also impossible."

"That's... true..."

"But regardless of your hero-fantasies, a relationship isn't about how much you've done for someone in the past, or how much they owe their life to you," said Para, "It's about showing them respect on a regular basis."

"I DID! A lifetime of me being the FUCKING PERFECT gentleman, and one screw up is enough to end it forever?"

Para bit her lip and looked away. Trunks immediately felt terrible.

"Gosh, I'm sorry for losing my cool, Medea," he straightened his tie uncomfortably. "I'm normally never like this. It's been rough on me lately."

"It's fine," she said turning back slowly and placing a hand on his leg lightly.

"You know, you're right," he said, all of a sudden. "I kept telling myself that Pan needed me, but in truth I was the one that needed her. I needed to feel needed by her to feel good about myself. I needed to know that I was keeping her safe or making her happy... it was all very selfish."

"I'm sure it wasn't all selfish," she said softly, "You're a kind person."

"I used to be," he said quietly, "Medea... can you forgive me for losing my temper and yelling and swearing..."

"Trunks, it's fine... I prefer it when people express their emotions. Better to know what's going on inside than to not know."

He nodded and looked into her eyes sincerely, "I have the same philosophy. It's better to know."

His hand moved to clasp hers which was resting on his leg and he gave it a gentle squeeze.

"And speaking of which," said Trunks with a small smile, "There's something I would like to know... if you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all," said Para, squeezing his hand back, "Ask me anything."

"How do you like fusion?"

Para stared at him wordlessly for a moment. Her pupils dilated and her mouth became very dry, "Wh...what?"

"Fusion," Trunks repeated staring at her intensely, "How do you like it?"

A cold sweat broke out over her shoulders, and she pulled her hand away from his as her palms began to feel very clammy.

"Personally, I think it's out of this world," Trunks said, with a tiny glint in his eyes.

"Fu... fusion?" she asked dumbly.

"Yes. Oh! I bet you haven't tried it yet!" Trunks smiled and held up the menu, "This place specializes in 'fusion cuisine'—it's a mix of food from different cultures... for example, they might mix Indian with Italian... I really like the Korean Tacos!"

"Korean... Tacos," repeated Para, placing her hand over her racing heart and glancing down at the menu. _So that's what 'fusion' is, _she thought with amusement and relief, "Of course. I'd love to try it."

"You seem a little worried, Medea," said Trunks, slipping his arm around her, "Just trust me on this one! Fusion is to die for!"

"I'll bet," she murmured glancing at him with relief, "Well, I trust your recommendations."

As they looked at each other, Trunks felt guilt rise up inside him. _This poor girl! She's so patient and understanding. She probably take care of ill patients all day at work and has to deal with all of their problems, and then I take her out and act like a certifiable basket-case lunatic instead of treating her the way she deserves to be treated. I need to try to make it up to her... I need to try to not be selfishly focused on my own problems just long enough to make sure she enjoys her lunch with me. Then I can go back to being a mess. Privately._

Trunks ordered when the waitress returned, and then he turned back to Para. She had been glancing around, while he was distracted, and looking for signs of anyone who might be investigating her for Marron. Her paranoia of being followed was interrupted by Trunks' questioning.

"So Medea. There's something I would like to know about you, if you don't mind me asking?" _I need to stop talking about Pan and try to turn the focus on Medea. I want her to feel good, like I'm paying attention to her. I don't even know why she'd accept going out to dinner with a miserable fool like me... let me try to at least try to save what's left of lunch and learn some more about who she is._

"Sure, ask anything," she said with a smile.

"What is your last name?"

She hesitated and shifted her eyes away, "Look, Trunks. My family's kind of... famous and I want to protect our privacy. I've lived a very sheltered life to keep me away from the public eye, and I don't want to reveal who I am. Surely you understand this?"

"I do understand. That's why you can trust me with your privacy. Just tell me your last name. I won't tell anyone."

"I already have my picture splashed all across the world after one date with you! My family was furious!" she exclaimed. _I am such a great liar._

"Introduce me to your family and I'll personally apologize to them," said Trunks. _Kami knows I've been doing a lot of apologizing to families lately. Can't be worse than that Gohan and Videl disaster._

Para cocked her head to the side, "I'm sorry. I can't tell you yet. I understand if you don't want to spend time with me since I can't open up to you and trust you..."

"Why all the secrecy?" mumbled Trunks. He took a long drink of his coffee before looking at her inquisitively. "Are you from the future or something?"

Para gave him an unreadable look. _The future! Hmm. That's a good alibi in case I ever need one._

Trunks coughed on his coffee when he saw the look on her face, "Shit, you're not really from the future?"

Para laughed, "No! Time travel isn't possible. Only in Sci-Fi novels! Wouldn't that be cool, though? There are so many things I would go back in time and change."

"Tell me about it," muttered Trunks, "I wish I could just... well, enough about me. What would you change?"

She took a sip of her coffee, and said the first silly thing which came to mind, "I'd change my prom date."

"Really? Who was he?" asked Trunks curiously.

The corners of her lips curled menacingly as she spoke, "Just some asshole who pulled the wool over my eyes. Would you believe I thought he was probably the greatest man in the world... right after my father? I was... very misguided."

She couldn't maintain eye contact with him, because she felt the floodgate opening and emotions filling her with sadness. She tried to concentrate on the marble pattern of the table.

Trunks reached out and slid his fingers under her chin, grasping gently and turning her face so that her eyes met his again. He saw the emotion in the clouded sapphire depths and he felt a stirring of familiarity at her words and her hurt look. _A long time ago Pan probably had the same respect and admiration for me that she just described._

A memory came rushing back to Para.

"_PAN SON! Where do you think you're going? You're not even dressed!"_

"_Uh... mama, are you guarding my window?"_

"_Damn right, I am!" said Videl, crossing her arms in midair, "Young lady, I bought you a dress and I expect that you will put it on and go to your prom! It's a once in a lifetime occasion and you will regret missing it later!"_

"_I was thinking I might just go and train with Vegeta instead..."_

"_PANNY! THIS IS YOUR PROM NIGHT!"_

"_I don't even have a date."_

"_You could have a date in five minutes if you wanted one, sweetie."_

"_Yeah... about that. Papa doesn't count."_

_Videl smirked, "Panny. Boys have been calling all week. At least three boys called and offered to pick you up today alone. Why wouldn't you talk to any of them?"_

"_Mama! First of all, none of those boys know where I live. If they knew how many hours it would take to drive here and to drive back, I don't think they'd want to 'pick me up.' Second of all, I simply don't want a date. I do everything everyone asks of me, everything that's expected of me! I study, I train, I fight crime. Can I please just take one night for myself and just do what I want to do instead of what I should do?"_

"_Of course," said Videl softly, with understanding. She reached out and hugged her daughter, "I didn't know you felt this way, dear."_

_Pan hugged back in relief. It was good to have such a kind and accepting family._

_Then Videl spoke again: "You can do whatever you want _tomorrow _night."_

"_Mama!" said Pan, pulling away in shock._

"_Right now you're flying back INSIDE that room and putting on your goddamned dress! Got it? Your date will be here soon!"_

"_My DATE?" asked Pan in shock, "But I don't have a..."_

"_Oh, I took the liberty of agreeing to one of the boys who called. He sounded lovely. I think you'll like him."_

"_Dende, mama! You told some poor, stupid boy that he could take me to the prom? Does papa know?"_

"_It was his idea!" said Videl cheerfully as she shoved her open-mouthed daughter back into her bedroom, "NOW CHANGE."_

_As soon as Videl left (slamming the door for effect) Pan angrily ripped off her clothing and pulled on her golden dress. She was careful not to damage the dress as she vehemently yanked up the zipper, for she didn't want to make her mother any angrier._

_Pan eyed herself in the mirror as she threaded the sash through her arms, "I look ridiculous."_

_She opened the door and stomped down the stairs for maximum effect, causing the little house to shake._

"_Oh, sweetie it looks wonderf... PAN SON. HAIR AND MAKEUP PLEASE."_

"_Beloved Kami," Pan groaned as she placed both hands into her hair as though she were going to rip out huge handfuls. Instead she squeezed her hair between her fingers and released a bit of ki to heat her hands before letting go of her hair. The hair fell with a naturally wavy new texture around her shoulders and Videl nodded in approval._

"_Makeup?" asked Videl._

_Pan used her fingernail to draw a small cut across her palm. She dipped two fingers into the blood that pooled there and patted it along her cheeks to serve as blush and onto her lips for lipstick. She smacked her lips together dramatically._

"_Very funny, dear," said Videl, unimpressed, "But what are you going to do for eyeliner? Give yourself a black eye and call it an improvement?"_

_Pan smirked and made a fist, but Videl had already grabbed her and forced her into a chair. Videl quickly administered the necessary enhancements, and just as she completed the final touches the doorbell rang._

"_I'll get it!" said Gohan, as he left the room where he was reading and walked to the door. Pan had been angrily enduring her torture, but when the doorbell rang she was suddenly filled with curiosity. She sensed for the ki behind the door out of habit (not that she thought it would help in this instance) and her heartbeat quickened. _How in the world?

"_Hi, Trunks!" said Gohan cheerfully, "Come on in, she's almost ready."_

_Pan stood up from her chair and the two made eye contact. The smallest of smiles came to his lips—the same smile he always wore when he knew she'd been surprised. Pan struggled to fight back her own smile. Trunks was the epitome of handsome in his jet black tuxedo with his golden tie. (Which of course, perfectly matched her dress.) She saw that he was holding a bouquet of red roses and that he'd had his hair cut since she'd seen him yesterday; she almost laughed at the sweetness of the situation. Then she noticed that her parents were looking to judge her reaction to their little surprise and she promptly scowled._

"_THIS is my date?" she said, gesturing with her hand up and down Trunks' body as though he were an object, "You're letting a 32-year-old geezer take me to the prom?"_

"_Panny, don't be rude!" said Gohan with a frown. "Apologize to Trunks this instant."_

"_I'm so sorry, sir," said Pan as politely as possible, "Did you forget your cane? You might need it on the dance floor surrounded by all those MUCH YOUNGER people."_

"_PAN SON!" shouted Videl for the fiftieth time that day. "Trunks is a fine young man and you will show him the respect he deserves."_

"_Seriously, mama? What 18-year-old girl would want to be escorted by an ANCIENT, SENILE..."_

"_Panny," said Trunks as he closed the distance and handed her the bouquet, "I can think of a few million girls in my fan clubs who would PAY for the privilege."_

"_That's only because they don't know you like I do!" said Pan, thanking him with her eyes as she inhaled the roses and mentally noted the heavenly scent, "But if ONLY those girls knew the self-centered, egotistical, foolish, incompetent..."_

"_Enough! You two had better get going," said Videl. "Panny, dear. Your father and I tried very hard to find you a prom date that you couldn't easily injure or terrify. Please try to be gentle with Trunks, because I think Bulma likes having a son with four working limbs connected to his torso. At the end of the night Trunks must still have both arms and both legs... and his head attached to his body. Is that understood?"_

"_Yes, mama," said Pan dutifully._

"_Wonderful!" Videl smiled and took the roses from Pan and handing them to her husband, "Gohan, please put these in water."_

_When Gohan left the room Videl quickly retrieved a small green bag from a drawer and handed it to Pan, "Here sweetie, you might need this."_

"_What is it, mama?" Pan opened the bag to peek inside and she pulled out a box. Was it jewellery? A necklace?_

_Trunks immediately started violently coughing as Pan turned over the box, searching for words to read._

_Videl smiled and enlightened her daughter:_

"_That's a box of Bulma's trustworthy saiyan-proof condoms!"_

"_DEAR DENDE! MAMA!"_

"_What, don't think it will be enough? I can get another box..."_

"_MAMA!"_

"_Don't worry, Panny, they work! There are other methods too, but that will do for now. I haven't gotten pregnant again since you were born, and believe me Gohan and I have lots of..."_

"_VIDEL!" yelled Gohan from the next room._

_Videl promptly clamped both hands over her mouth and began to giggle while Trunks and Pan turned various shades of red. Gohan re-entered the room with a furious look on his face and dripping wet clothes._

"_I broke the flower vase," he explained, as he wrung his shirt out, "Videl, why did you have to give them one of those?"_

"_Because, sweetie, don't you remember OUR prom night? Besides, Pan is starting college in a few months and it won't do for her to get pregnant so soon."_

_Gohan began to blush hotly, "I've changed my mind, Panny. You don't have to go out tonight."_

"_Yes!" she shouted, already reaching behind her back to unzip the dress and heading for the stairs. Trunks, however, reached out and grabbed both of her hands and locked her wrists together._

"_No way are you getting out of this that easy," he said, "I got all dressed up for a high school prom and I'm going to a high school prom!"_

"_Trunks, you're supposed to be on my side!" she argued as she wrestled against him._

"_Oh, wait! A picture, sweetie!" called out Videl as she scrambled for the camera._

"_Really, mama? As if this isn't humiliating enough?"_

"_Trunks, dear," said Videl, "Just wrestle her into a position that looks like you two are happy to be in the same room, and tickle her to make her smile and we're good."_

"_You're going to have to wrestle me with all you've got, because..."_

_Trunks smiled and reached out and grasped Pan's waist, spinning her around before kissing her soundly on the mouth. She froze in surprise for a second, but her wide eyes automatically closed of their own intention and her lips softened to welcome his warm ones. Pan was completely oblivious to the frantic sound of a camera shutter and her father clearing his throat. Trunks and his kisses always had that effect on her. His lips and hands on her body were earth-shattering._

_Before she could fully relax into the kiss, however, Trunks pulled away._

"_Will that do, Videl?"_

"_Brilliant! Wonderful job, Trunks! I snapped a few great photos!"_

_Pan looked up at her parents dizzily. She then remembered where she was and promptly decked Trunks in the jaw._

"_How dare you!" she hissed, "You lecher! You scoundrel!"_

"_Your mother made me do it," said Trunks with an innocent smirk as he rubbed his face._

"_Just because she gave us saiyan-proof condoms, are you going to have to try those out too?" barked Pan, shoving the box in his face._

"_You know what, sweetie, let me hold onto those," said Gohan nervously, as he approached his daughter and pried the box from her clenched fingers. He hugged her and gave her a kiss on the forehead, "Enjoy your night, Panny. Take care of her, Trunks."_

_Gohan clapped Trunks on the back affectionately and the younger man nodded._

"_I'll try, papa. Bye Mama," Pan waved at her parents in almost a normal fashion as they exited the Son household. They walked up the driveway to where Trunks' golden limo was waiting. Pan looked at him and raised an eyebrow._

"_I thought it wouldn't be special if we took the regular limo... since your classmates see me pick you up in that car almost every day. So I took the fancy limo."_

"_The fancy limo," she repeated in a mocking tone as the door automatically lifted for entry. She sighed and stepped in, sending a miserable glare at her parents before scooting over so that Trunks could join her._

_Trunks nodded to the Sons and got into the limo beside Pan before pressing the button to close the door._

"_Pan, look..." he began as soon as the door clicked shut, but he was cut off by Pan tackling him and pressing her lips to his. He caught her in his lap and leaned back against the seats, letting her lips sweetly besiege his._

"_Sir..." said the driver, turning around and glancing at the couple. Trunks removed one hand from Pan's waist for a millisecond and made a waving gesture. The driver understood and rolled up the dark window which separated them and began to drive._

_Trunks placed a hand under Pan's back and gently shifted their position so that she was lying on the seat of the car. He followed, keeping their lips locked the whole time._

"_Did you substitute blood for lipstick to piss your mom off again?" he asked, in between tasting her lips._

"_I can't believe you're taking me to my prom!" she said breathlessly._

"_Pan, you were a bit too convincing back there."_

"_I can't believe you kissed me in front of my parents!"_

"_I know you wanted your parents to think this is a fake date and you hate my guts but you almost convinced ME..."_

"_Trunks, I can make up for it right now if you shut up and let me."_

"_How can you?" he said with a mocking pout, "Your dad away took the saiyan-proof condoms."_

"_Oh, please! If your MOTHER made them, then I'm sure you have hundreds. Why didn't you ever tell me that saiyans needed special condoms? Were you going to let me find out the hard way?"_

_Trunks started laughing loudly and Pan stared at him suspiciously. He continued laughing for several minutes, until he fell against her and his forehead banged against hers lightly. She frowned as his body continued to spasm with his chuckles until he eventually gasped, "Yes! The hard way!"_

_She stared at him, unimpressed as he kept laughing, "Get it, Panny? The hard way... find out... about saiyan-proof condoms..."_

"_Trunks!" she complained, shoving him off her and onto the floor of the limo, "No wonder my parents let me date such an incredibly older man! Your maturity level is positively prepubescent sometimes and it keeps everyone from noticing that you're a grown up!"_

_For a moment there was silence, and she couldn't even hear his breathing. If she didn't know better she would have said he had disappeared altogether. She peeked over the side of the seats and as soon as she did he reached up and grabbed her and yanked her down onto the floor of the limo with him. She laughed, and they wrestled lightly until he manoeuvred her under him playfully._

"_Sorry that I didn't tell you about the saiyan proof condoms. I just thought that it was one of those things a mother should be able to share with her daughter... you know, break it to you gently."_

"_GENTLY? We are talking about MY mother, right?"_

"_OK, I admit... I just wanted to see the look on your face. It was priceless!" Trunks grinned and lay beside her, raising himself up on an elbow, "I knew Videl would pull something like that eventually. She can't resist the urge to embarrass everyone as much as possible whenever possible. Especially your dad."_

"_That's true. Poor papa," said Pan, snuggling into Trunks' chest as they lay on the floor of the limo._

"_He's not THAT poor," said Trunks with a smile as he ran his hand over Pan's wavy hair gently, "Why do you think he stole the box of condoms back? Sense their energies."_

"_Ewwwww, Trunks!"_

"_But while they're busy... I can have some fun with you."_

_His hand had sled to the zipper of her dress, and in one fluid motion it was unzipped._

"_Are you finally going to take my innocence?" said Pan daringly as she scooted even closer to him and intertwined one of her legs with his._

"_Well, you are 18 and it is your prom night," he mused as he slipped his fingers into the back of her dress and let them caress her warm flesh, "And your mother did practically give me permission... but I hardly think that my limo is the place to do it."_

"_My mother was just joking to annoy us. My parents both have no clue that you and I are... kind of, sort of, somewhat... almost together."_

"_Then we should tell them, Panny," he said, letting his fingers drift down to her tailbone, "And we should make it official. You're old enough for us to be together now, don't you think? Everyone would accept it."_

"_I don't know," she said softly, "It would be really nice to tell them. But I still have to get through college, and I'm not sure I can be your full-time girlfriend for a few years to come..."_

"_Do you think I care? All I want is you, and even this pre-relationship makes me happy. As long as I get you all to myself someday soon," he said, moving to kiss her lips._

"_Mmm, Trunks," she said, letting her body melt against him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I've always been yours. Even if you won't go all the way with me because of your gentlemanly values."_

"_It would have been easier to uphold my values and be a gentleman if you hadn't tried your hardest to seduce me almost every moment we've been alone since the Grand Tour," he growled._

_She smirked at him lovingly, "I couldn't make it easy for you, could I?_

"_You made it HELL for me, Pan-chan!" he said, tightly gripping her arms. "I can't wait until we tell everyone and I can finally avail myself of your body without fear of decapitation or going to hell."_

"_Neither can I," she said softly. "But you know, you don't have to be _such_ a gentleman. From what I understand, Goten has already..."_

_Trunks stiffened, "He's already what?"_

_Pan smiled, "Never mind. Let's just say my dear uncle doesn't have as much of a rein on his carnal urges as you do."_

"_Tell me, Panny. What has Goten done?"_

_Pan tried to distract him with a kiss, but he pulled away, "Has he touched my sister? My innocent little 19 year-old sister? I'm going to kill him!"_

"_Don't you dare lay a hand on my dear sweet uncle!"_

"_My foot! If only you knew how dangerous Goten can be when it comes to women. Has he touched her?"_

"_Well, there may have been an... incident," said Pan confidentially, "But I wouldn't worry. Goten has always been so protective of Bra and he would never do anything to harm her! And... she loves him, you know."_

"_Does she now?" grunted Trunks, staring up at the neon lights on the ceiling of the limo._

"_Yes," said Pan, crawling over him mischievously, "Almost as much as I love you. And nothing bad could ever happen between us, could it? We understand each other too well. I think they are the same."_

"_Unexpected dreadful things happen to everyone, Pan-chan," he said softly, as he reached up and caressed her cheek, "But I do think that together you and I can get though anything."_

"_We've already been through so much together! I probably experienced ten lifetimes worth of danger by the time I was sixteen. Nothing could ever between us," she asserted confidently._

_Trunks smiled. "Except this dress."_

_He slid the straps off her shoulders to expose the skin he yearned to see and began to indulge in a feast of her breasts until she moaned his name._

Para gave a small shudder.

"I was so young and foolish," she said softly. "Every day when I wake up I pray I won't be as foolish as I was the day before."

Trunks smiled into her dark eyes, and his glance settled on her lips thoughtfully, "There's no possible way that you could be more of fool than I am."

When the Korean Tacos arrived, they polished them off quickly while making idle chit-chat. But mostly they remained quiet. Before long, the half an hour was coming to an end and Medea made her excuses and politely turned to leave.

"Medea, will you see me?"

"What?" she turned back to him.

"Well... I it's just that I've been directed to see other people... and I'm wondering if you'd like to be seen?"

"To be seen?" she asked.

"Forgive me, I haven't done this in a while... but would you continue... dating me?"

She gave him a small smile, "I'd like to... but what about Goten? I saw him yesterday... I thought you didn't want to date me, so I spent time with him instead. He's going to teach me how to fight. Besides, I think he has almost as many problems as you do, and he could use a friend."

"Then let him train you, and be his friend," said Trunks, "But be my... girlfriend."

Trunks was thinking, _Medea is perfect. I like her, we get along, she's gorgeous: just what I need to make Pan incredibly jealous. So jealous that she'll come back to me._

Para tried very hard not to smirk. _You idiot saiyans. Seriously. I've got you wrapped around my finger._

"Let me sleep on it, Trunks. I don't like being the second choice. But I'll consider it."

"Tell me as soon as you know," he said, taking her hand and kissing it, "I want to see you again as soon as possible. Tonight if you have the time."

"I... might," she said hesitantly. "I'll let you know."

* * *

Goten stepped out of the shower and towelled himself off.

It wasn't that the morning's training sessions had tired him out or even caused him to secrete a single drop of perspiration, but they had certainly been stressful. The first day of work was stressful in any environment, he supposed. The shower helped him to relax a little at least.

A fellow teacher stepped out of one of the other showers and glanced at Goten's body as the saiyan towelled his face dry.

"Hey man, did you know you look a lot like that monster from the news..."

Upon receiving a death-glare from Goten, the man threw up both hands and stepped back, "I meant no disrespect, sensei. You just look very fit, that's all."

Goten growled softly and ignored the other man as he tugged his pants on. He reached down and retrieved his cell phone and saw that there was a message for him.

_Hey Goten, this is Medea. I just saw Trunks for lunch, and he offered me something a little more concrete and substantial than the "no strings attached" arrangement that you suggested. I hope you and I can still be close and I hope you will still teach me how to fight, but I have agreed to try being Trunks' girlfriend for the time being to see where it goes. I hope you won't be offended. I really hope I won't lose your friendship._

"What the fuck?" muttered Goten. He immediately pressed the speed dial button to reach his best friend.

"Hello?" answered Trunks.

"Trunks! What's going on? You asked Medea to be your girlfriend? She and I were really getting along!"

"Yeah, man. I'm really sorry to interfere—but I kind of need her help at the moment. I think I can use her to make Pan jealous."

Goten threw his towel down on the bench with a force that caused the bench to crack, "Doesn't she deserve better than that? You asked her to be your girlfriend so you could USE HER?"

"You were just going to use her for sex anyway. She told me you pulled the 'no strings attached' card."

"Yeah, but..." Goten fumbled. _But I need her too. I need her to help me get over Bra_.

"Look, Goten, I'm sorry..."

"Whatever, man."

Goten promptly hung up the phone and hooked it back on his jeans. A grunt came from behind him and he turned to the sound of the voice.

"Girl problems, man? Here, have a smoke with me," said the other sensei.

"A smoke?" repeated Goten, staring at the extended cigarette.

"Yeah, you put it to your lips and puff?" said the man with a laugh, "It relieves stress. Give it a go."

Goten's shoulders sagged and he nodded slowly, "Sure. Yeah, sure."

Grasping the slim cylindrical object, Goten brought it to his mouth and positioned it between his lips rebelliously. He pointed his finger at the end and used his ki to light the cigarette.

"Cool trick," said the other man, impressed.

"Thanks," said Goten as he inhaled deeply and exhaled a giant cloud of smoke. The smoke tasted disgusting. It tasted like... rotting corpses that had been left in the sun and were being swarmed by flies and vultures.

It tasted like something he deserved to taste.

"My name's Dario Roberts, by the way," offered the sensei.

"Goten. Goten Son."

"Oh, sweet! You're Videl's brother-in-law, right? Well, lucky you. I didn't get this job through my family connections! I trained hard under Mr. Satan himself for 20 years."

"Impressive," said Goten, trying not to roll his eyes, "You must be incredibly... strong."

"I am," said Dario, reaching into his locker and pulling out a bottle of vodka, "This is my secret. I always train under the influence of alcohol, therefore I can't feel the pain and I push my body further than I would be able to sober. Hurts like a bitch in the morning, but it's gotten me far."

Goten furrowed his brow at this, "You know, alcohol and cigarettes aren't good for you. Ultimately they will make you a weaker, unhealthier fighter."

"I need something to take the edge off of a hard day. I'm only human."

Goten stared at the booze and the smokes and thought about how they would shorten this man's life significantly. He thought about how many more poisons he would have to consume to achieve the same effect.

"Count yourself lucky," mumbled Goten.

"What?"

"Never mind."

"I swear, man," said Dario, pointing at Goten with the hand that he held the fuming cigarette in, "You remind me of someone from somewhere. I've seen you in the newspapers or something before."

"It probably wasn't me," said Goten as he drew a lungful of tainted air through the little white tube.

"No. I never forget a face. I know I've seen you somewhere."

Dario stared at him for a moment before his eyes lit up, "Hey! Weren't you the one dating that rich bitch?"

"...What?" The muscles in Goten's face twitched and his eyes became hard. If Dario had been smarter he would have known not to continue.

"That busty slut, what's her name... you know... that Capsule Corp heiress with the sweet tits..."

The cigarette in Goten's hand disintegrated as his ki began to flare. Dario still didn't get the hint.

"Wasn't it Bra? Yeah, Bra Briefs. Was she your woman? Man, I would give just about anything to tap that pretty blue-bushed pussy..."

Dario tried to keep speaking, but he found it challenging as his jaw broke into numerous pieces and several of his teeth were suddenly rolling around on his tongue.

Over the next few seconds, Dario made the intimate acquaintance with Goten's fist. Again and again. Goten didn't stop until the man was unconscious.

"It looks like I'm going to get fired on my first day of work. I could use another cigarette," Goten muttered, as he walked back to the shower to wash away the blood that had splattered on his arm and chest.

* * *

Pan was unpacking gallons of takeout food (a luxury not available in the Time Chamber) when her hands paused in removing the lid from a tub of pork fried rice.

"Whoa. He must not be happy about this at all," said Pan as she felt her uncle's energy rise drastically.

"He's not," said Bra, biting her lip and leaning against the wall for support, "But that's not what the ki spike was about. Panny..."

Pan saw her friend weaken, and figured that it was the large doses of tranquilizer which were causing her to lose balance. She quickly rushed to her side and slipped an arm under her shoulders to help her to a chair.

"Panny," said Bra again, clutching her friend's arm. She closed her eyes for a few seconds to let her heart rate steady itself and then spoke in a whisper, "He was defending me."

"Defending you?"

"I guess someone said mean things about me, and Goten snapped..." a small whimsical smile came to Bra's face. "Just the way he always used to protect me. Even before we were together."

Pan smiled and hugged her friend's shoulders, "He's always been so crazy about you... I used to wonder which of your attempted kidnappers were unluckier—the ones who ran into Vegeta or the ones who ran into Goten."

Bra laughed, "Neither! The unluckiest ones were those who ran into YOU!"

Pan grinned, "Well, it sure did make recess entertaining."

"I sure do hope people keep trying to kidnap me and hold me for ransom!" said Bra excitedly. "It would be nice to defend myself for once."

"I'm sure you'll get an opportunity," said Pan. "Once the charity ball is held C.C. will get a ton of publicity and all the criminals will want a piece of your family fortune again."

"I hope so!" said Bra, before she grinned. "Oh! Pan, I just remembered a hilarious incident. You were away at college. Someone tried to kidnap me while I was out shopping with Marron. You wouldn't believe it! Marron lifts her skirt and has a GUN strapped to her thigh, and she shoots the guy in the leg before pulling handcuffs out of her purse and arresting him on the spot!"

Pan laughed, "Wow! That sounds like Marron alright."

A vicious knock sounded at the door and both girls turned towards it.

"Speak of the devil," said the saiyan women in unison. Pan sighed and moved towards the door to open it, but the door went flying off its hinges.

Marron entered the house in a flurry, "You won't BELIEVE what I found!"

"Did you just kick my door in?" asked Bra with a frown. But Marron was so excited she ignored her completely.

"At first I thought 'This is impossible. She doesn't exist!' Because there is literally NO record of her ANYWHERE," exclaimed Marron, "It is as though she were JUST CREATED out of thin air."

"Who are you talking about, Mar..."

"She bought her house YESTERDAY. That house was sold YESTERDAY. Her bank account was opened YESTERDAY."

_Shit, Pan._

_She might not know yet. Keep your face expressionless. Don't give away any information._

_I'm sorry... I had no clue that Marron would be investigating us or I would have been more careful..._

"Have you told Goten or Trunks about this?" asked Pan.

"No. I thought I'd come to you first. I've never seen anything like this... and it occurred to me that you two might have hired Para to get revenge on Trunks and Goten."

Bra exhaled loudly, feeling a sinking feeling in her gut. She looked at Pan, who obviously felt the same. It was terrifying to even hear Marron say the name "Para" out loud.

"All evidence pointed to this. And I mean ALL the evidence."

"What evidence, Mar?" asked Bra quietly.

"I did a check of both of your financials. I saw that Pan, you have been transferring large amounts into Bra's account. And Bra, you have been transferring MASSIVE amounts into both an untraceable location and—surprise! Into Para's bank account."

"You checked our financials?" said Bra angrily.

"It's my job," said Marron with a cold stare, "So are you going to come clean with me?"

_It's fine, Bra, _Pan communicated to her friend, _she only thinks we hired the girl. Let's confess to that so she doesn't dig any deeper._

"You're right, Marron," said Bra suddenly, "You figured us out. I hired this woman to fuck with Goten's head... and Pan wanted her to mess Trunks up so we decided she could kill two birds with one stone."

"She's a complete professional at what she does," Pan added, "She's seduced and ruined many high profile men and we figured she could do the same for us."

Marron placed a hand on her head and walked over to the sofa and abruptly sat down. She leaned back in against the cushions and sighed.

"Please don't tell the boys, Marron?" Pan begged.

"If you need... _incentive_ to keep quiet, I can offer you any amount you wish," Bra added.

Marron stared at the girls silently for a moment, looking back and forth from one to the other before speaking slowly:

"After all these years. After so many years of close friendship. After all of the secrets I've kept for you two. After all that we've been through together. After witnessing the fucking end of the world together. After watching humanity nearly destroyed several times over."

Marron rose to her feet again as she continued, and color flushed her cheeks, "After YOUR father got possessed and possessed the whole world along with him. After MY uncle caused hell to open up and killed my own father! After... everything... you two, my dearest friends in the world, still don't trust me?"

"Marron," said Pan softly.

"You're offering to PAY me to keep quiet?"

The saiyan women glanced at each other and Marron collapsed again in the sofa, "With friends like you two..."

"I'm really sorry to have insulted you, Mar," said Bra, moving over to sit beside her friend and take her hands, "Just please understand... this whole revenge scheme, while it's probably immature and petty... it's very important to Pan and me. If the guys find out, not only will it ruin our plan, but everyone will hate us."

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Marron asked harshly, "I'll have you know I am very good at what I do. I was considered to be one of the best before I had my kids and quit the force."

"We know you're an amazing detective..." Pan began.

"THEN WHY WON'T YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH!" the blonde woman shouted.

Bra and Pan were hushed by her outburst.

Marron immediately regained her composure, and smiled sweetly. She calmed down and folded her hands in her lap as she spoke:

"Even after I found enough evidence to support the theory that you two had hired her, I kept digging. Something still didn't add up to me. If you two were so focused on revenge, why would you go into the Time Chamber for a year? And why would you hire this particular woman?"

"Marron, we..."

"I got her fingerprints from a cup of coffee she drank from earlier today on her date with Trunks."

_She got Para's fingerprints!_

_She takes her job very seriously. Do you think it can incriminate us?_

_I have no idea._

"I went to the precinct and ran her fingerprints directly from the coffee cup... AND GUESS WHAT?"

"What?" asked Bra, holding her breath and expecting the worst.

"I found nothing. There was no record of her in the system."

Pan and Bra both exhaled little sighs of relief. Pan spoke up, "I guess she doesn't have a criminal record then?"

"Not in this country at least. It couldn't tell me anything. Fingerprinting software is pretty elementary. It looks for exact matches, and it doesn't really give partial or possible family matches. Iris scans are best, but I couldn't exactly go up to Trunks' new girlfriend and say 'Hey, can I shine a laser in your eye to see if you have a criminal record anywhere in the world?' That would make it obvious that I was invading her privacy."

"So I guess you hit a dead end?" asked Bra hopefully.

"I did. I found myself holding the evidence bag with the coffee cup and just staring at it for about an hour, looking for inspiration. I was waiting for the coffee cup to grow a mouth and tongue and vocal chords and talk to me. I was completely out of ideas."

Marron smiled, "Then it _did _suddenly talk to me."

Pan cringed, knowing what was coming. _I'm sorry, Bra._

"I noticed a small crack running down the side of the mug," said Marron, "And I ran logistics on it—it turns out that the pressure that caused it to crack was perfectly distributed between the thumb and forefinger fingerprints. Whoever was holding the mug was _strong enough to crush it with her bare hands_."

Marron glanced knowingly at her friends, "How many women in the world you think are capable of that? Excluding the two women I'm sitting with in this room of course."

"Probably a few dozen at least," said Pan casually, trying to hide her frantic heart rate. "There's your mother..."

"My mother is an Android."

"... and my mother," said Pan, "Who is completely human, along with my grandmother. Heck, Marron! Even your six and seven year old daughters could do it. Then there is... there is...well, just about any woman who trains on a regular basis! I don't know many, but they _are_ strong human women out there, and Medea happens to be one of them!"

"Uh huh," said Marron, raising her eyebrow, "Well, I considered that. I considered that maybe you two hired an exceptionally strong woman for the task. Until I saw this article."

Marron retrieved a magazine from her purse and flipped forward to the page which she had marked, "I found this tabloid article called "_How Billionaire Trunks Briefs Likes His Women_"—I know, they'll publish anything these days, won't they? Anyway, the article compares Medea's body to Pan's and what I saw kind of shocked me."

Pan took the tabloid from Marron and skimmed the page.

"My measurements? They somehow have my measurements?" said Pan in disbelief.

"And Medea's measurements," added Bra, glancing at the article nervously.

_How do they have _her _measurements? _asked Pan mentally.

"Apparently your 'Medea' tried on a corset—in _Isadora's Intimates_, of all places," said Marron with a knowing look at the girls, "Bra's favourite store. We shop there all the time. Anyway, the store owner was more than happy to give up this information. Don't you find it interesting that she has your exact measurements, Pan?"

"Lots of women do. Walk down the street and ask a random skinny girl who works out what her measurements are, and they'll probably match mine."

"Uh huh," said Marron again, rolling her eyes, "Well, as I was looking at this article, someone in the precinct suggested to me that I give the new software a try."

"Software?"

"Biometrics," Marron clarified. "As I said earlier, Trunks prefers his women brainy, feisty, and challenging. Goten prefers his women innocent, sweet, and ultra-feminine. There are hardly ANY women that can fulfill both qualities. So I decided to try the software and see if it could help."

Marron paused ran her finger over Para's face in the newspaper.

"And it did help. Finally, after a hundred dead ends. I ran her face through the facial recognition software, and _guess_ what I found, girls?"

Bra and Pan looked at each other uneasily, "What, Marron?"

"Don't you know what?" she asked bitingly. "I didn't bring Oren here, and I hardly ever have been separated from him since his birth—you know why?"

"Why?" asked Pan, as her foot nervously began to tap the ground.

"SO I COULD FUCKING SWEAR AT YOU TWO FUCKING IDIOTS!" Marron shrieked, "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? FUSING? YOU'RE FUCKING FUSING?"

"I guess the facial recognition software is pretty efficient," observed Bra.

"EFFICIENT! YES, IT IS EFFICIENT!" the blonde woman screamed, "ARE YOU TWO OUT OF YOUR MINDS?"

"Probably," said Pan.

"She matches you 50%," said Marron, pointing at Bra angrily, before turning to Pan, "And you for the other 50%. EXACTLY."

"And you haven't told anyone about this?" asked Pan as visions of tying Marron up and locking her in the basement danced through her mind.

* * *

Yay! Another chapter completed. Now for my thank yous:

**jazzyfizzler:** Do you have any idea how many times I read your review over and over? LOTS. You're soooo inspiring and motivating to me, I can't express it! You gave me a katrillion points? Now I can die happy. =) THANK YOU for the challenge of dropping Goten off a cliff, and I am SO glad you enjoyed it! I might even take up your "leave Goten in space without air" dare. =) It made me RAPTUROUSLY ECSTATIC to see your reaction and the capital letters made me dance. A lot. You're THE BEST! It's been a while since I've said this... but you're my FAVOURITE PERSON! *HUG, SQUEEZE, LOVE, ETC.* ^-^

**gina31486:** I love how you separated the chapter into pre-spanking and post-spanking sections in your review, LOL! It made me giggle to hear about the fact that it made you laugh in public. I am so so deliriously happy about that! =D Sorry for the lack of Trunks, you're right. I tried to include a little more Trunks than I originally intended in this chapter to make up for it. By the way, thanks again for suggesting _Goku's Humored_! You may have noticed I stole the image of Goten smoking from that fic. I have NEVER EVER imagined Goten smoking and for some reason the thought of it just made me want to throw up... I mean come on! Think of innocent, sweet, darling Chibi Goten... and cigarettes! COMPLETELY OPPOSITE. I just HAD to include it here. Also, I feel the same about the ending of _Petrified Tears_... by the end I felt like the whole story had gone in a complete circle. I think I stole Pan using her hands with ki as a curling iron from that story though! Hehe. I'm just a total thief.

**Leecassi:** Haha, what's worse? Vegeta dying or Vegeta looking terrible in spandex? I couldn't tell you! I was so cheerful to receive your review so soon after I published the chapter, it really made my day. I really enjoyed your new B/V story and I hope everyone gets a chance to check it out!

**Anmylica:** Woot! I'm glad that last time Goten earned points with you. I hope this time he earned some more? Or maybe not, lol. Thanks for your help again as always! It's great to be able to ask you for help with choosing names for the kids and things like that. =) You make writing this story that much easier and so much more fun!

**DISAPPOINTMENT:** My apologies for what was revealed in the review. I partly took your review as a flame, but I partly took it as a compliment that you cared enough about the story to want to be surprised and to maintain anticipation. But I wouldn't worry too much... I have a dozen tricks up my sleeve and tons of surprises that no one knows except for me. =) I wouldn't be a writer if I couldn't pull a bunch of exciting and thrilling stuff out of my ass at any given moment, so I hope you'll have faith in me and keep reading.

**famoso:** I am so glad you like the development of Bra's mental powers. I'm especially pleased that you think Para is such a great complete person—I have to say I agree with you!

**kickstartmyhart:** Thanks for your comments on the Vegeta/Pan scenes! I have some really great things planned for those two.

**Shahi:** Your review was very very astute. Pan's struggles between her own desires and everyone else's are going to be a big theme, or at least an undertone throughout the story. I hope your exams went well, and thanks for your review!

**DaBigWilliG:** I can spank you if you want, even though you reviewed! =) Sorry the fight scene wasn't more hardcore! Hehe, I promise I'll try harder to impress you in any fight scenes to come. I'll have Vegeta and Pan blow a lot of stuff up in the future, and there will be much pain and suffering, it will be great! =) Sorry for the delay on Loud Silence, I will definitely work on it soon.

**Supersaiyan2479:** Thank you! It's never too late to say it! I'm so glad to hear your thoughts on Para or any aspect of the story, regardless of what chapter it's about. I'm so sorry I haven't been working on Loud Silence more, but I promise I will get to it soon!

**WingedKiller:** Haha! Well, she did spank that. =) I can see Bra having a bit of a dominatrix thing going on what with the red leather, gloves, boots, and the way she treats her daddy!

**Talk Smith Kid:** I added the prom memory scene so that there would be a bit more Trunks here to make up for last time. =)

**The0Blind0Writer:** THANK YOU for commenting on the old lady! I am very proud of her, and think she's very DBZ since all the DBZ old people seem to be horny creeps, lol.

**Suzki**: Thanks for your feedback. You're right, Trunks doesn't really need to work at all, but I think he would definitely try to always make good use of his time in some way.

**Phantasom**: Wonderful to hear that the last one left you smiling!

**18katrina:** Thank you for the comments on the details! I try my best! I loved your review and I listened to the song you suggested a few times until it got stuck in my head. I especially liked the line "Don't be my friend." I think the song really suits the Goten/Bra aspects. I like the fact that the story made you think of the song, or vice versa. I was thinking of including the lyrics to Christina Aguleria's "Nasty, Naughty Boy" in the last chapter but I decided that lyrics would distract from the story and take away from the humor. It's a GREAT song though, with this slow sultry burlesque vibe and I think it really suits the story and Para. I hope you get a chance to listen to it, here are some of the lyrics:

_You've been a bad, bad boy__  
__I'm gonna take my time, so enjoy__  
__There's no need to feel no shame__  
__Relax and sip upon my champagne__  
__'Cause I wanna give you a little taste__  
__Of the sugar below my waist, you nasty boy_

**girl**: Thank you for such a kind review. Your words mean a lot to me!

* * *

Looking for more yummy things to read?

I recommend these current stories by my wonderful reviewers:

**Moments Between Sleep** by jazzyfizzler

**Contagious** by Leecassi

**Death Heart** by Supersaiyan2479

**Saving Space** by WingedKiller

Please remember to read and review the work of all these writers so that we can all grow together and improve our work! If there are any of your stories you'd like me to read and review, please feel free to let me know. =)

I'm so happy with the detailed reviews I've been receiving for this story. You all are making this a wonderful experience for me. I pay extremely close attention to every word of your reviews, and each review I receive makes me a better writer.

A good review is worth more than Pan's gazillion dollar engagement ring! =D


	13. Typhoon of Lust

_Chapter Thirteen: Typhoon of Lust_

I LOVED your reviews. You guys rock. You make my life worthwhile!

Remember to come on over to our Facebook group; just search for Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak. =)

I can't believe you all liked that prom part so much. It was totally a last minute addition and I thought it was weak and had no clue how I was going to make it fit in with the story, lol. You guys totally like my flashbacks more than the story!

I guess the whole story being so dark and gloomy makes the sweet, fluffy bits a little more special. And of course there is really such a thing as fusion food! Wikipedia it, lol!

The song in this chapter is by Savage Garden entitled "The Lover After Me."

~PanHopeNvs~

* * *

_Lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off._ –Natalie Portman, Closer (2004) & Panic at the Disco

* * *

"OF COURSE I haven't told anyone! How many times do I have to REMIND you that I am your goddamned FRIEND?"

The room became very silent. Water was heard dripping from the faucet in the kitchen.

Bra and Pan stared at Marron with expressionless faces. Bra suddenly looked over at Pan.

"Panny, quit thinking along those lines."

"I can't help it. It's the simplest solution. It always worked when we were kids."

Marron suddenly realized that her position was rather precarious, and she swallowed her saliva in a gulp. Would the saiyan women attempt to... silence her? They certainly could overpower her without much effort. Marron's thoughts drifted to where her phone rested against her waist, and she thought of speed-dialing her husband. She knew she couldn't speed-dial faster than Pan could move.

"Yes, but we're not kids anymore and it's no longer cute to lock Marron up in the basement. She has kids of her own she needs to take care of now."

Pan looked questioningly at Bra, "So what are we going to do with her? Do you have a better plan?"

"No. I don't know. Panny, quit imagining that! Keeping her locked up in the basement is definitely NOT the solution. I can't even remember to feed a dog, there's no way I'd remember to feed Marron."

Marron rolled her eyes, "Look, there's a reason I came HERE instead of going directly to Bulma! I'm your friend. I can keep a secret!"

_Should we trust her?_

_I don't think we have any other options._

Bra and Pan sighed together. Bra was the first to look at Marron, "Alright, Mar... I will trust you. Please, please, please don't tell my mom or anyone else."

"I would never!"

"What Bra _meant_ to say," said Pan softly, raising her index finger and directing a small dark orange sphere of energy to gather above the digit, "Is that it would be very _unwise_ to tell anyone. I wouldn't want there to be any unexpected _consequences_. If you know what I mean."

Pan kept her fist very still, but she waved her index finger back and forth in a sinister way.

Marron's eyes followed the small ki ball back and forth, and she knew that Pan could rip right through her chest with that attack and that she would die almost instantly. She also knew that there was no way in hell that Pan would actually do something like that.

"Really, Panny?" asked Marron staring at her friend suspiciously, "First Bra tries to buy me out, and now you're threatening me? You girls are acting strange. I think fusion has really been messing with your heads."

"It's possible. Dende said that it might lead to insanity," said Bra as she grabbed Pan's finger with one hand, and closed her palm around the ball of ki with her other hand to snuff it out.

Although Bra had defused her finger, Pan still held Marron's eyes locked in an unwaveringly hostile, nuclear glare, "Just be careful, Marron. I'm not sure what I'm capable of anymore."

"You couldn't hurt me, Pan. It's against your values. You have never hurt me before."

"Except for that one time," Marron corrected thoughtfully, "When you were ten years old and I was dating Trunks. I was tanning outside C.C. when suddenly my hair caught on fire. I never saw who did it, but I was pretty positive it was you."

Bra suddenly started giggling, "I guess _someone _thought Marron would look better with her father's old hairstyle."

Pan felt her scowl disappearing as she added, "Or lack thereof."

"That wasn't cool. It really wasn't cool. I look terrible bald. But anyway, this whole deception IS cool! Mainly because for once, I'm not the target of your conspiracy!" Marron's eyes began to twinkle with an evil glare. "Even though this fusing-to-date-your-ex-boyfriends thing is pretty messed up and a tad bit obsessive... I think it's going to be your best prank ever. I'm excited to see how it turns out!"

"Really?" asked Pan, "You... like the concept?"

"I do," said Marron with a smile, "I'm not sure what exactly you have planned out for them... but knowing you two girls, I can't possibly be disappointed. Personally I've always wanted to see Trunks and Goten burn—especially since I dated them and found out what losers my Super Saiyan best friends can be when it comes to relationships."

Pan and Bra nodded sympathetically.

"Great in bed, though," said Marron whimsically, "They were both SO. Great. In. Bed."

Pan and Bra both nodded again, empathetically. (And a bit emphatically.)

"Don't tell Uub I said that," said Marron with a tone of warning. "Not that Uub has any reason to be jealous..."

Marron's gazed off dreamily as she rested her elbow on the arm of the sofa and placed her chin in the palm of her hand, "Did I ever tell you two—"

"What a giant, amazing, incredible, charming, captivating, magnificent, colossal cock Uub has?" finished Bra almost routinely. "Yeah, Marron, you have. Only about a million times in the past ten years."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Mar," said Pan with a chuckle, "All that worshiping of Mini-Uub is going to get you pregnant again!"

Marron unconsciously placed a hand on her stomach, "Well... if it happens, it happens. That would be wonderful. Babysitting you two brats should have made me hate kids forever, but I guess it made me realize that any children I could ever have could never possibly be as mischievous and troublesome as the spoiled daughter of Vegeta and violent tomboy daughter of Videl."

"Thanks," said Bra cheerfully.

"Now," said Marron, leaning forward seriously. "I just want to know a few things about Para—why did you include her real name in her fake identification? Bulma is a genius, she could figure out that "Para Brieson" is a combination of both your names. I still have to give her a report on all my findings, you know."

"Well, it's just that we wanted Para's I.D. to really be _her _identification... she isn't just some silly game, she's actually a person. As weird as this sounds, we wanted to respect that, and respect her individuality by letting her keep own name."

"I see," said Marron, curiously, "I vaguely remember what Gotenks was like. I was about five years old when he fought Buu... he was a real character, nothing like either of the guys. Major attitude. A real creep if you ask me."

"Para's got something of an attitude too," Pan confessed.

"There's another thing I don't understand. As far as I remember, when Trunks and Goten fused their energy was so powerful that even people who weren't used to sensing energy... even Bulma, Videl, and me... everyone could sense the massive ki emanating from him. So if Para has been spending time with the guys, why haven't they been able to sense that she's unusually powerful?"

Pan smirked, "Easy. We keep her constantly drugged with massive doses of tranquilizers."

"Clever," said Marron, placing a finger on the side of her mouth thoughtfully. "But don't the drugs have negative effects on your daily lives?"

"We sleep a lot more," said Bra, "It's harder to wake up."

"You should be careful," Marron cautioned, "You don't want to damage your health over a game."

Pan felt the gentle vibrations of a text message on her Para-phone at her hip and she flipped it open to read it. It was from Goten:

_Sure, Medea. I understand. Let's just be friends. I hope things work out well between you and Trunks. He's been a bit under the weather lately and I think you might be just what the doctor ordered to cheer him up and help him get back to his usual self. =) Trunks is a great guy, I'm sure you'll enjoy being with him. Would you like to meet on Saturday morning to train?_

Bra made brief eye contact with Pan, having read the message through her mind. _Well, things are going smoothly!_

"And how is the thirty-minute limit working out?" Marron asked thoughtfully, oblivious to their communication, "You can only see the guys for thirty minutes at a time?"

"It's tricky, but we've been managing," said Pan.

"Maybe you could help to call the boys away on some 'emergency' or something if we're ever in a tight spot?" asked Bra.

"Of course! I'd love to help out in any way I can," said Marron, "For starters, what should I put in my report for Bulma?"

"Conceal the name," said Pan immediately, "You can call her... Medea... Matheson."

"Matheson?" said Bra, wrinkling her nose. "No way. Something pretty: Medea Meadows."

"Ooh, I like that!" said Marron nodding and jotting it down, "What else?"

"She's a resident doctor," said Pan.

"And a tennis champion," said Bra with a smile.

"Also, say that her family is extremely wealthy so that Bulma doesn't think she's a gold-digger!" Pan added.

Marron nodded and scribbled quickly on her notepad, "How about any other details? Anything you think would help your plan."

"Orphans!" shouted Bra suddenly, "Say that she travelled to some destitute part of the world and took care of orphans. My mom will dig that!"

"Firefighting!" added Pan instantly, "Write that she's a volunteer firefighter, and that she's helped to put out many massive four-alarm blazes!"

"NUNNERY!" Bra squealed, laughing, "Let's say that when she was younger her parents were busy so she grew up raised in a convent by NUNS!"

Marron rapidly jotted all of this down as Bra and Pan laughed and high-fived each other.

Marron sighed, "Yeah... I might have to make some adjustments to this when I type it up so that Bulma believes it. Of course, Bulma wants to see a doctor's note from a recent physical exam that says Medea has no sexually transmittable diseases or communicable illnesses."

"I can draw up some fake medical files for you," said Pan, "Bulma is really thorough, isn't she?"

"Mom's so overprotective of Trunks," Bra complained. "She doesn't let anyone near him unless she's literally examined them under a microscope. I sometimes wonder if she'd do the same for my boyfriends."

"I guess if you ever have any boyfriends other than Goten we'll find out."

Bra moved to hit Pan who blocked her attack easily.

"Well, girls. I actually have one condition that I'd like you both to meet in order for me to keep this whole situation a secret," said Marron, smirking. "Consider it a favour for wasting my time and making me investigate when you should have just come clean with me in the beginning."

_Great. Think she's going to try to blackmail us? _asked Bra telepathically.

_For what? We already offered her money and death. Blackmail's not her style. Let's just see what she wants._

"What is it, Marron?"

"I want to meet her."

"You want to meet... Para?"

"Yes. I want to meet my new friend!" said Marron excitedly.

"That's so... sweet," said Pan in surprise.

"Aw, Marron," said Bra, deeply moved, "Of course you can meet her!"

"Good," Marron stood up and adjusted her purse on her shoulder smugly. "I figure that if you two COMBINE your maturity levels it might ALMOST create a woman who is mature enough for me to not be embarrassed to call my friend!"

"Ouch. Burn!" Bra laughed and threw a pillow at Marron.

* * *

Trunks had both hands shoved deep inside his pockets as he walked across the city. Of course, the sky had to be pouring rain down on him at a rate of ten bucketfuls a second. He could have flown. He could have driven. But it was just one of those days he preferred to walk.

He couldn't sense Pan's ki. Not even the tiniest hint of it. Where was she? Where on the face of the planet could she possibly be? There were a few options, and all of them involved Bra's ki concealing tactics.

"You're my sister," he muttered to himself, "You're supposed to be on my side."

Why did Pan find it necessary to conceal her ki? There was only one real reason.

She was with someone else.

_Here I go again_  
_I promised myself I wouldn't think of you today_  
_It's been seven months and counting_  
_You've moved on_  
_I still feel exactly the same_

Her words had haunted him non-stop since they'd left her mouth. _"I need to see if there's someone else out there for me. I have never had that chance." _He knew he deserved his rejection, but the one thought that he couldn't bear was her being with another man. _"I want anyone but you." _Yet it seemed that achieving his greatest fear was her entire agenda.

When he could sense her ki, he focused on it. He felt for the slightest fluctuations. If she were in a passionate moment with another man... well, he would know. He would do something about it. But the only fluctuations he had felt in her ki lately were when he had also felt the increase in his father's ki.

Although that had always been a frequent occurrence, Vegeta and Pan had been training notably more in the past few days. Much more often than normal. Trunks briefly imagined that something was going on between Pan and his father, and the thought almost made him blind with rage.

He stopped walking and breathed deeply to calm himself. He noticed to his left an empty playground—no one would let their children play in this weather. Hadn't he and Pan taken Marron's girls to this playground years ago? The slides and jungle gym were a gaudy bright red and the see-saw was made of blue and yellow.

Damn those primary colours to hell.

Trunks raised his hand and the playground instantly disintegrated.

He couldn't look at anything or go anywhere without thinking of her. It was as she had said. To break their connection, he would have to destroy everything in existence including himself. They were too deeply connected. Their lives had been too elaborately intertwined.

_It's just that everywhere I go all the buildings know your name_  
_Like photographs and memories of love_  
_Steel and granite reminders_  
_The city calls your name and I can't move on_

He continued walking, hardly soothed by the small release of energy. The thought of Pan and his father possibly being intimate together really, really made him sick. He tried to focus on something else. Anything else. He shuddered as the instantly imagined images of Pan and his father making love on the floor of the gravity room left his brain. Permanently, he hoped. _That's just impossible. It couldn't happen. I must really be losing it._

_But if not him... then she's definitely found someone else. It's been several weeks since... the incident. I was too angry for the first few weeks to notice anything that was going on around me. I just bet that after she saw me with that woman, and after she went berserk... she ran right into the arms of another man for comfort. That's why she wouldn't let me talk to her in Antarctica. That's why she didn't accept my apology or proposal. She probably spent all those months in the Time Chamber thinking about him, whoever he is, and dreaming about HIM. Yearning for HIM._

_And I bet she couldn't wait to get back to him as soon as she got out of that room. That's why I can't feel her ki. I bet she couldn't wait to get back to FUCKING him! And she's hiding her ki so that I don't come and kill her little boy-toy._

Images of Pan lying under a man and gasping out in pleasure made him clench his fists. Would she scream his name the way she used to scream for Trunks? The thought of her wrapped up in someone else's embrace made him want to empty the contents of his stomach. _His_ Panny! She had always been his.

_Ever since you've been gone_  
_The lights go out the same_  
_The only difference is_  
_You call another name_  
_To your love_  
_To your lover now_  
_To your love_  
_The lover after me_

She could be engaged in such activities at _this very moment_. He had no way of knowing since he couldn't sense her. She could be in a new apartment or house that she had bought somewhere... anywhere in the city, anywhere in the world. Underneath a man who was making love to her instead of him. Underneath a man who was making her writhe and scream in pleasure. Underneath the man who had comforted her when he had let her down. Underneath the man who...

_Stop it! Kami. Trunks Vegeta Briefs, get real!_ He chastised himself. _That's not realistic. That wouldn't happen. Panny isn't like that. She would never do something like that. She would never put herself in that position._

_She likes to be on top._

He went back to imagining the disgusting situation in the way which it was more likely to be happening. _There's no way Pan would let some weak human fuck her. No, she's the one fucking him. _Pan was probably lowering her body down onto the man who had consoled her all those weeks ago. Pan was probably closing her eyes and moaning for that man, whoever he was, as she used the muscles in her thighs and abdomen to grind her hips down onto him.

Trunks turned a corner and seeing a shiny parked yellow car, he planted his foot firmly in the side of the vehicle. Primary colours were just so annoying. The car went sailing across the street before slamming into another car and then into a brick wall. After the impact, he nervously looked around and was relieved to see that it was an incredibly quiet street. There was no one around whatsoever. It seemed everyone was taking shelter from the rain.

_Am I all alone in the universe?_  
_There's no love on these streets_  
_I have given mine away to a world that didn't want it anyway_

He groaned. _What am I doing? Why am I acting like a child? Wrecking playgrounds and cars isn't going to help the situation. What I need to do... is get Pan's attention. I need to get some more photographs in the papers of me and Medea together. Pan isn't mourning the loss of me. She's out there concealing her ki, doing Kami knows what with Kami knows who. I need to live my life and show her._

_I need to take Medea out, and make it look like I'm perfectly normal. Better than normal. I need to make it look like I'm on top of the world. I need to send a message to Pan that I'm enjoying my life, with or without her. A message that I don't need her and that she has no power over me._

_I can't let her know how jealous I am of whoever she's with... no, I need to focus on making _her_ jealous. Making her miss me. I know I'm better than any man she could possibly be with. No one else can even handle her physically!_

He quietly admitted to himself that the extent of Pan's passion would be too unbearable for any lover that she chose. When she lost control, when she felt herself at the brink of release, the tension would build in her body and she would power up to Super Saiyan. Trunks gritted his teeth as he imagined her powerful muscles tightening around another man's member. She would destroy the body of a human man, wouldn't she? She would! Wouldn't she? She wasn't accustomed to exercising control. She'd never had to before.

Regardless, he knew he had to get to work on using Medea to make Pan jealous. It wasn't a foolproof plan, but it was worth a shot. Only... what if Medea didn't want to see him any longer? He hadn't exactly done much to charm her. Hopefully his wealth and reputation would do the work for him.

He reached the house number which he had remembered from her text message. He sensed it and couldn't feel any energy signals inside. _Maybe she fell asleep? She did work for most of the day and she's probably exhausted. And I told her I'd be here a long time ago. Oh well, I've come this far. Let me see if I can wake her up._

Trunks rang the doorbell.

A few moments passed, and finally the door slid open to reveal a very sleepy looking woman. Para moved a hand to her forehead to brush her indigo bangs aside from her eyes and she gave him the smallest of smiles.

"Hi..." she said softly, "Boyfriend."

"So you've decided," he answered, pleased. "I'm glad."

"Oh my goodness, Trunks," she suddenly said, "You're soaking wet! Didn't you have an umbrella? Please come inside and get warm."

_So this is my new freedom_  
_It's funny, I don't remember being chained_  
_But nothing seems to make sense anymore_  
_Without you I'm always twenty minutes late_

When Trunks had arrived at Para's house, Bra and Pan had not yet been fused. Trunks had been rather late, so they had been waiting in the ki-suppressing basement for the sound of the doorbell before fusing. It was the only way they could guarantee they would have all of the available time. Every second of every one of those precious thirty minutes.

They had also injected copious amounts of Etorphine before and after fusion. It was a fast acting drug, so Para had stumbled up the stairs of the basement in a weakened dizzy haze before shaking her head clear and answering the door. She heard Trunks' thoughts that he thought she might be sleeping, so she decided to act the part.

The fresh dose of tranquilizer had been nearly enough to knock her unconscious, so it wasn't a hard role to play. She had almost been too drowsy to notice that Trunks was soaked to the bone from the rain, but when she noticed she quickly ushered him inside.

"Let me put your clothes in the laundry," she said, "You can take a warm shower in the meantime."

"No, no. It's fine," he said, knowing that he could dry off his clothing with his ki. But then how would he explain that to her? It might be better to let her help.

"I insist. Please come upstairs," she offered again, leading the way.

"Sure, Medea," he said, following her obediently and absent-mindedly.

"I don't have any men's clothing but I should have a robe or something you can wear until your clothes dry out."

It was technically a lie. She still had Goten's garments which she had stolen from the day before, but she couldn't offer those. She also had plenty of capsules for such emergencies containing regular clothing, saiyan armor, and fighting gis, but she couldn't offer those either. Did anything come out of her mouth that wasn't a lie these days?

She guided him to the master shower and held out her hand, indicating that he should deposit his clothing into it. He tugged off his wet shirt and gave it to her, and she made a motion with her other hand to indicate she wanted his pants as well.

She then moved to the laundry room (in which she had never done laundry) and looked at the machines. She saw that the dryer was an older model that would take an hour for the clothes to finish drying. She frowned and quickly glanced behind her to ensure her privacy before pulling the clothes tightly against her body and releasing a miniscule amount of hot ki to dry them out before tossing them into the dryer.

Then she headed back to her room to find clothes for him. All that she could find was a satin robe. She laid the robe out for him in the bathroom (with a quick glance at his form through the foggy shower door) and headed into her bedroom.

She hesitated for a moment before going to the bedside table where her purse lay and digging into it. She pulled out the simulator and turned it on. The arousal-intensifying waves had never been used on Trunks. Para had never really gotten extremely intimate or sexual with him. What would their dynamic be like? As intense as it was with Goten? She could be patient and allow things to progress in the natural way... or she could cheat nature and speed things up with a little science.

It was in her nature to cheat nature with science.

In the meanwhile, Trunks was towelling himself off with a towel that had never been used. He saw that she had lain out a robe for him.

He was extremely surprised to observe that the robe was pink.

Trunks weighed his options for a few seconds before donning the garment.

He exited the bathroom, fingering the pink lace at the cuffs of the robe hesitantly he looked up at her.

"You know Medea... I'm not..." he paused and thought of how to phrase his next words. She smiled and finished his sentence for him:

"A variety of flower?"

He cringed and they gazed at each other for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Trunks. I couldn't find anything else that might fit you. Let me look again," she said, turning to conceal her smirk and marching to a dresser. She pulled out drawers (which Bra had filled just earlier in the day while Pan had been sparring with Vegeta) and she searched for something else. She couldn't really think of anything that might fit her brother—Bra liked her clothing skin-tight.

Trunks gazed at Para's long, slender, and shapely legs as she searched for clothing for him. As she bent over, rummaging in the drawer, he watched as her dress rode up to reveal the little curve at the top of her thighs where her legs met her buttocks.

He stared at her body for a moment, somewhat surprised to feel his own body responding at the sight of her. Suddenly, a brilliant thought suddenly struck him with full force: _There's a much better way to get Pan's attention than any newspaper. A surefire way to make her boil with jealousy._

_Wherever Pan is, she may be concealing her ki... but I'm positive that she can still feel mine._

Para paused as she was rummaging through the drawers, as she heard Trunks' train of thought. _That simulator sure does work quickly, _she thought with mild surprise and substantial pride in her invention.

She straightened her posture and moved her fingers to the hemline of her dress. She gently grasped the edge of the fabric, intending to pull her dress down modestly, but Trunks crossed the room and grabbed her fingers, crushing them in his grasp.

Her breath caught in her throat as she beheld the typhoon of lust and wrath burning in his eyes.

"Trunks," she began softly, feeling an unusual sense of danger at his proximity. She had felt many emotions around him in the past, but never danger. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise as the heat of his ki intensified and surrounded her skin, prickling and electrifying it. Her anxiety made her heartbeat increase as every muscle in her body began to contract and beg for oxygen. Her own arousal began to stir within her womb as she remembered what Trunks was capable of.

The ferocity of the emotions and the hormones released into her bloodstream burned away some of the effect of the tranquilizer, and she felt her subtle drowsiness dissipate and her own ki rising slightly. She fought desperately to contain it, to hold onto her sedated state.

It was impossible. It was impossible to look into the oceanic intensity of the eyes belonging to the man she loved and the man who was her brother without feeling a typhoon of her own lust and rage consuming her. She fought against the onslaught of anxiety from within as his hands forced her hands behind her back. His chest and inclined forehead grazed hers.

"If you can't find any clothes that will fit me," he said in a low growl, "I really don't mind not wearing any."

He ripped off the pink robe and tossed it onto her dresser with a flick of his wrist. He then flexed back his shoulders as he stood in his naked masculine glory, his skin still warm and moist from the shower.

Para looked at his body for a moment before looking back up at his face. She swallowed and sought to control her ki as her heart raced.

"You're taking advantage of this 'boyfriend' thing quite immediately, aren't you?"

"Can you blame me?" he asked. "You're just too beautiful and alluring."

He stepped closer to her and ran his fingertips down her arms. She shuddered involuntarily.

_You're perfect, Medea. Just exactly what I need to piss the hell out of Pan. Just wait until she feels my energy spike as I make love to you. Wait until she sees you beside me in every newspaper and tabloid all over the world. _Trunks was making his hands roam over Para's hips and thighs as he spoke. _Her explosions will be of epic proportions. I know she still cares enough to... care. She might even want to kill you, but I'll protect you from that easily._

_Like you even could! _Her body was reacting strongly to his touch although she fought to keep her mind stable and aloof. She imagined that the simulator was affecting her hormones as well. How many of anyone's actions or choices was based on logic, and how many were based on hormones?_ Trunks is willing to sacrifice me (to me) for me? What great lengths he would go to... no greater than my lengths, I suppose. We all want different brands of vengeance._

Trunks continued tugging Medea's dress up inch by inch._ I know Pan's trying to forget what we had and ignore me... but I won't allow that to happen. I am going to shove every aspect of my life discreetly into her face, as much as I possibly can while still maintaining a miniscule fraction of my values as a gentleman. Medea, you're going to be an integral part of that._

Trunks took Para's hand and tried to lead her to the bed, but she stood her ground and frowned.

"Let me see if your clothes are dry," she said as she stared at his bare torso.

"I don't really give a damn about my clothes," he stated matter-of-factly.

Para folded her arms over her chest and moistened her lips with her tongue, "What do you care about?"

"I just..." he exhaled and rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes. Maybe he'd been moving too fast for her? She was pretty young, but they'd had several dates together at this point. It didn't matter. He needed to try to be a gentleman.

"Medea, would you prefer to watch a movie instead?" he asked, gesturing to the giant television in the bedroom she had never slept in.

Para glanced at the television and the random DVD collection. She walked over to them and ran her finger along their spines. She picked up a random movie, but her nose wrinkled when she saw that the movie lasted 90 minutes.

She chewed her lip. _Stupid. That just won't do. That's triple as long as I've got. This sucks! I can't even watch a movie with my new boyfriend. My new old boyfriend, that is._

_You know what? Screw the foreplay._

_I kept telling Bra: "Wait until our date with Trunks." I haven't fulfilled the promise yet. I haven't made her as uncomfortable as possible. But I always fulfill my promises, and even if it took a whole year I think it's finally time. Time for some quality payback._

_PAN! Dende, girl. That's my BROTHER! He's genetically much closer to me than Goten is to you. We share the same _parents_. It's wrong on so many levels._

_Oh, who cares! Like you wouldn't do it to me in a heartbeat._

_That's not the point..._

_Bra Vegeta Briefs! I'm taking over this operation. Shut up and find a dark corner of my brain to sit patiently in for the next 23 minutes._

"Nah, no movie," Para tossed the DVD back onto the shelf carelessly before fixing Trunks with a smirk. "90 minutes is a long time. I'm not a patient girl."

He looked at her with a self-satisfied expression, "Patience is a virtue, young lady."

"I can't afford to be patient," she said softly as she advanced on him. "Life is too short."

_Especially my life, _she thought as she stepped closer to him. "Or maybe I just can't afford to be virtuous. It hasn't gotten me very far in the past."

"Then come and be nefarious with me," said Trunks, extending a beckoning arm.

Para quickly closed the distance separating them and pressed her lips against his, moulding her body to his. He immediately moved his hands to her hips and began to slide his hands over the curve of her bottom, squeezing and massaging that highly sensitive area.

_Yes. Perfect. This is for you, Pan, _he thought to himself victoriously. _I hope wherever you are, you're sensing everything that I do with this girl._

_I'm right here, and I'll be sensing everything you do in more ways than you think, _thought Para in her amusement and arousal. _You think that you're going to sleep with someone else to get back at me for rejecting you? Little do you know! This is my game. This is my revenge, not yours. I'm the queen and you're just a pawn. Well, maybe not a pawn. A knight at most, but nothing greater._

He pulled her hips tightly against his exposed lower body so that their bodies grinded together in a tantalizingly rough way. Her bare thigh slid in between his as they naturally sought more aggressive and intense contact. His used his large strong hands to knead the muscles in her bum, alternately forcing her butt cheeks together and pulling them apart. The sensations travelled through her skin to her perineum and labia, and she groaned against his mouth.

Without warning, Trunks grasped the hem of her dress and pulled, and a ripping sound was heard as the garment went sailing to the join his discarded robe. Trunks quickly went to work massaging her through her blue panties as he continued to rub himself against her and kiss her lips hungrily.

He spread her cheeks apart with his hands and slid his fingers underneath her panties, using the index finger from each of his hands to separate the folds of her flesh. He then simultaneously plunged the middle finger from both of his hands into her, and she cried out as the sensation as he hit her interior walls repeatedly.

Para shuddered, putting her arms around his neck to steady herself from losing balance. She could take a multitude of mighty punches, but _this _was too much.

As his hands continued their merciless assault, her mouth drifted away from their kiss as she could no longer focus through the kaleidoscope of colours in her vision. His fingers worked expertly and aggressively, spreading around the moisture that her body was producing and massaging her flesh vigorously from the inside. Soon her every pore was saturated.

"Is this OK?" he grunted, succinctly and functionally.

"No," she gasped as she clung to him.

"Too rough?" he asked as he paused, worried.

"No," she insisted again, ripping his hands away from her soft, swollen flesh and pinning them to his sides.

She looked at him with determination before placing her hands on his chest and slowly sliding down his body until she was on her knees before him. The fingers of her right hand immediately began to tangle in the soft lilac fuzz at the base of his penis as she grasped it firmly.

Part of Para sucked in a breath of surprise at his size, for her fingers wouldn't meet as they tried to encircle him. She cleared her throat, "Wow. I guess you must have really great genes."

She engulfed the head of his penis with her warm mouth. She tightened her lips around him as she lowered her head down the length of his shaft repeatedly, quickly and firmly, all the while also stroking him with her tongue.

"I ate my veg... vegetables, and I... took my vita... MINS!" Trunks tried to speak through Para's hand firmly stroking him at the base of his member, keeping perfect time with her mouth. Cupping his balls gently with one hand, she squeezed and massaged his silky scrotum just the way she knew he liked it.

"Medea!" Trunks threw his head back and moaned at the sensation as Para used her lips to create more suction while stroking him firmly and smoothly with her fist.

When he had seen that she intended to pleasure him orally, he was going to mention to her that she should be as rough as possible, and that she might even use her teeth if she wished. He wanted to genuinely enjoy this and to lose himself in the passion: Pan might be able to feel the excitement in his building ki if it was real; he liked the thought of her seething in anger. As he remembered, human girls generally did not have the strength it required to please him very much with their mouth or hands (or anything else for that matter, not in comparison) and he didn't think Para could either. However, as soon as she had begun, he lost all train of thought with regards to this.

Not only was he able to feel her grip, but it felt amazing. Trunks found himself bucking his hips against her mouth in a silent plea for more as she struggled to engulf his entire size. When he was able to gather his wits about him long enough to look down at her, something about the way she brushed her dark hair back over her shoulders stirred his memory. She tossed the giant mass of hair away from her face quickly, with plenty of attitude suggesting her profound annoyance with the cumbersome tresses.

He looked down at the way she worked both her hands and her mouth vigorously, and he couldn't help but think of Pan. If he closed his eyes, he was almost certain that he could hardly tell the difference between the sexual skills and styles of his current lover and his previous one... he could even imagine that she was Pan. Maybe his memories had been skewered and making love to Pan hadn't been that different from other women? This thought was interrupted by Medea raking her teeth roughly along his frenulum.

He let out an animalistic roar and grabbed her head behind her ears, forcing her mouth down on him until his length hit the back of her throat. She inevitably gagged but he hardly noticed her discomfort in his fervor as he continued to slam his erection into her throat.

Para briefly wondered at what had gotten into him as she released a little bit of energy so that she could wrestle his hands away from her head, and pull his penis out of her mouth. She licked her lips where the mix of her saliva and his juices mingled together, and she used her thumb to clean up the dribble on her chin before standing up and turning around. She glanced over her shoulder at Trunks as she headed for the bed.

_No more wasting time. Let's get this plan moving, _thought Para to herself. _I only have so many minutes._

She climbed onto the bed and quickly unclasped her blue bra and tossed it aside. Then she reached down and slid her blue panties down over her toned legs. She couldn't think of a more explicit invitation. Actually, maybe there was a more explicit invitation.

"Please, Trunks," she whispered, running a hand over herself, "I want you now."

He quickly moved over to her, placing one of his knees between her thighs and his hands on either side of her head as he pushed her back down onto the bed.

"You've done this before, right Medea?" he asked gruffly as he positioned himself at her entrance.

"Of course," she said, biting her lip and moving her hips against him urgently. It was the truth, and yet it wasn't. She, Para, had never before had sex before in this body, although Pan and Bra had. _Well, they say lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off_, she thought to herself. _But when you've told so many lies that it isn't even fun anymore—it's time to tell some lies with your clothes off._

"And you're..." Trunks tried to remember that other important question, "On birth control?"

"Yes," she answered as she slipped her arms around his neck. Both Pan and Bra had resumed their methods of birth control which they'd briefly stopped taking in the Time Chamber.

He reached down and guided himself in between her folds of flesh, mumbling, "Good."

Without a moment more of delay he thrust himself into her. She moaned as he moved very slowly so that her body could take its time to adjust to his size. Trunks had always tried to be considerate of women. However, once he was inside of her completely, memories came flooding back to him of Pan. It was similar to when he had first kissed Para.

His emotions overwhelmed him and for several moments his vision blurred and he could almost see Pan lying there underneath him, looking up at him with her trusting and loving dark eyes. His Pan and her sweet Son smile. Her honest warmth, her confident strength mingling with girlish innocence. Her fearlessness and her vulnerability. The vision was so realistic that he opened his mouth and almost called Pan's name.

Then the vision fizzled away, and it left him feeling empty. Its power had almost brought tears to his eyes.

_I must be losing my mind, _he thought. He had been almost positive for a moment that she was Pan, that it was Pan's flesh he had buried himself into. He knew his mind was playing tricks on him—but how badly he wished it were true! He felt tears prick the back of his eyes as he longed for the woman he loved, but the sadness quickly segued into anger. _How could you leave me, Pan? Over one mistake. One stupid mistake. I deserve your forgiveness. I don't deserve your damned cold shoulder! _He rocked his hips to dig himself deeper into Para, eliciting a guttural moan from her throat.

The sound made him even angrier and he increased the force of his thrusts. _Who is making you feel this way now, Pan? Who is making you crazy, making you moan and scream? If I find out I will kill him! I WILL KILL HIM! There's no way that he can make you feel the way I did! There's no way he can love you with all his heart the way I do! _His vision blurred again as his rage overcame him and his strokes became even more forceful. Too forceful. He pounded himself into her so hard that his pelvic bone banged against hers painfully.

"Trunks!" she screamed through the intense mix of pain and pleasure.

_That's right, scream my name, _he thought viciously as he continued to pummel his rock-hard erection into her soft depths. His motions increased in speed and he mercilessly tore at the flesh of her insides.

"Ah..." she gasped out in shock at his violence. The rapture she had felt initially begun to transform into agony as her skin began to rupture, "What are you..."

_See other people, Pan-chan? How's this for seeing other people?_

His unbridled anger and lust had caused him to naturally transition to Super Saiyan as he moved inside of her, and she gaped at his lack of control. It felt like a spiked rock was impaling her body.

"TRUNKS! Seriously!" Para called out firmly, grasping his shoulders tightly and trying to get his attention and ask him to calm down—but he was not only blinded by his rage but also deafened and numbed. Her fingers dug deeply into his shoulders until her nails pierced even his Super Saiyan skin, but he still did not notice. Each sledge-hammering stroke actually moved her body across the bed until her head was repeatedly slamming into the headboard. She let go of his shoulders (realizing that it would be challenging to explain any more damage to his body) and reached up and tried to stabilize herself against the oaken headboard of the bed. Trunks continued pounding into her almost as though he were possessed by hellish demons.

She fought to resist the urge to increase her ki to match his so that it wouldn't be painful. She knew that all of the Earth's Special Forces were feeling the sudden increase in Trunks' energy, and she also knew that a good portion of them were able to read the emotions in the ki enough to tell why. If she raised her energy to even a fraction of what she was truly capable of she would undoubtedly raise suspicions amongst her friends and family. She would just have to stay powered down and try to tolerate the situation—it was her fault she was in it after all. She had certainly asked for it.

A cracking noise was heard as the headboard splintered apart with the impact of her head against it. Somehow Trunks didn't even notice this in his feverish concentration and impassioned delirium. She gasped out in pain as her head went through the solid wood headboard and began to bang against the wall.

But the pain she felt which made her gasp wasn't from the impact of the wood or the wall—it was from the more intense impact of the saiyan body pounding into her between her legs.

"TRUNKS!" she screamed at him, trying to get him to stop. It only fed his frenzy.

_We're even, Pan-chan! We're FUCKING EVEN. Can you feel my energy? Can you feel this? _His ki grew tenfold with a loud roar as he reached Super Saiyan 2. Para clenched all her muscles defensively, and felt a rapid increase in the moisture inside of her. It was blood, she knew instinctively. She was bleeding, couldn't power up, and yet Trunks continued thrusting.

He also kept mentally insulting Pan. _Can you feel how much FUN I'm having, Pan-chan? This is my revenge! How dare you reject Trunks Briefs? I loved you! I don't care who you're with right now. I don't care whose name you're calling out, because we're completely EVEN. I'm also with someone else, and she's also calling my name. So scream all you want, bitch._

Para would have wanted to laugh and would have sardonically thought something along the lines of, "I'm still screaming your name, lover," if it weren't for the fact that the situation was becoming dangerous.

_Ever since you've been gone_  
_The lights go out the same_  
_The only difference is_  
_You call another name_  
_To your love_  
_To your lover now_  
_To your love_  
_The lover after me_

It would be hard enough to explain how her head wasn't even slightly injured from breaking the strong wooden bed. How her fingernails had managed to bruise his shoulders. It would be even tougher to explain how she was able to be unharmed from her head going through the wall. She braced the wall with both hands in order to try to spread out the force evenly and keep the wall from caving in.

Para wanted—no, she needed desperately to power up, because she could feel her flesh tearing more and more with each of his furious strokes. Why was Trunks powered up to Super Saiyan 2?

_Don't power up, Para. Don't power up. Oh, Dende! If I don't power up, he's going to rip me apart! What on Earth is he doing? A human woman can't take this! I'm a fused being and he shouldn't be able to hurt me at all... but with the ki suppression and the sedatives... WHAT is he doing?_

_Damn you, Pan!_ He inwardly raged as he drove himself into her. _Damn you for leaving me! Can you feel this? DAMN YOU!_

Para screamed and reflexively raised her ki a tiny bit—being careful not to let herself go Super Saiyan. She knew that her energy had spiked high enough for everyone on the Z-team to sense her, but hopefully not high enough for them to take any serious notice of her...

As she raised her energy, her muscles tightened around the intruding organ and she acknowledged that even despite the pain, being so intimate with Trunks felt wonderful. It felt divine to be with a man in this way again, after so long, even if it was less than perfect. The pain just added to the passionate feeling of the situation.

Any feeling was better than no feeling at all. Any love was better than no love at all. She almost wouldn't have had it any other way.

When her ki rose slightly Trunks felt it and in his daze he understood it as an indication of her pleasure or achieving orgasm. He let some of his anger go and allowed himself to feel the delicious sensations of her tightening muscles. After a few rapid thrusts he clutched her tightly as he finally approached his climax.

When his orgasm came the clouds cleared from his mind and Trunks suddenly saw the look of pain and anxiety on Para's face. As soon as his body sagged against hers with his release, he pulled out of her and rolled over to the side of the bed.

_Pan. Kami, what am I doing? Pan. Pan! Dende, I just can't stop betraying you. I love you. I need you. And I can't stop hurting you. Pan... this is so fucked up, what am I doing? I don't want to be with anyone but you, Panny._ Trunks felt tears slip from his eyes. He had thought it was possible to enjoy himself sexually with any woman, but it simply wasn't the same. The connection wasn't there... the understanding and the familiarity. He missed his love.

This woman... she was human, and fragile. He'd probably hurt her—the look on her face! Trunks turned back to see that Medea had moved away from him as well and now lay on the opposite side of the bed. She had her knees curled into her chest and her breathing was ragged.

He then saw it... there was blood on the white sheets. He reached out to touch it and frowned, "Medea, I thought you said you weren't a virgin..."

She glanced back at him, over her shoulder, and gave him a strange look. He knitted his brow in confusion when a telepathic message reached him.

_Dude. What the hell? SHE'S NOT PAN. Is she alive?_

It was Goten reaching out to his mind, and even Goten's telepathic voice sounded terrified and frantic. Trunks realized all of a sudden what he had done.

His hand jerked up to touch his hair and he swore. Trunks immediately powered down and his hair fell out of the tight golden spikes into its original lavender softness. Trunks crossed the bed and took the wounded girl into his arms gently.

"Oh Dende, Medea... what have I done to you? You're bleeding..."

Para looked at the sheets and frowned. She was shocked to see that she _was _actually bleeding quite a bit. That part of her body—or rather, that part of both Pan and Bra's bodies had been out of commission for over a year, and the skin of her insides had become delicate.

She moved her hand down to touch herself gently to survey the damage. "I'll be fine. I won't need stitches or anything, it will heal on its own before long."

If she could have safely powered up just a_ little_ more she wouldn't have been so injured. If she could have safely gone Super Saiyan she wouldn't have been injured at all—but her hair suddenly turning golden and her power level skyrocketing would have been a tiny bit suspicious. She would have to get into the regeneration tank later.

_Trunks! Is she alright?_ Goten's telepathic voice came again into Trunks' mind, and also into Para's. She felt a little bit of warmth at Goten's concern for her.

_No, she's hurt, _Trunks responded, angry with himself.

_What were you thinking, man?_

_I just lost control for a few minutes._

_Look, I know that I'm no example considering my lack of control lately... but Medea's just an innocent human girl! She doesn't deserve you taking out your anger on her._

_I know, Goten. I'm sorry. I'll take care of her, don't worry. See if you can get me a senzu from your brother._

"You have to let me take you to the hospital," Trunks said with concern, already moving to the window. "I don't know what came over me... I just..."

"Trunks. Relax! Put me down. I'll heal," she said with a reassuring smile. She freed herself from his protective grip, "I'm a doctor and I know it's not serious."

"You don't understand... it is serious. I used too much power..."

"Shhh," she said, "It's fine. It's just a little blood. You'd be surprised at how much this type of thing happens to people."

"What's wrong with me?" he whispered. Trunks sat on the side of the bed and put his head in his hands.

She frowned at him as she invaded his mind and listened to his thoughts.

_Pan, do you hate me? Of course you do. I wonder where you are right now. Look at this mess I'm in—and I'm just digging myself a deeper hole by the second. I wish I could go back in time. I love you, Pan. What if I had worked up the courage to ask you sooner? What if I had never done such stupid things? Would we be married now? Would we be lying in bed together instead of with other people? Contented instead of tormented?_

_Would you have said yes? If I hadn't been a scared miserable fool, more human than saiyan, would you have said yes if I'd had the courage to ask you when I should have? Please, Trunks,_ he told himself, _just forget it. Forget it! There's a beautiful woman here right now, and she'll help you forget all about Pan. You just injured her by going Super Saiyan 2 while in bed with her and she hasn't even complained... she's just smiled and been so tough. She's tried to reassure you she's alright when she's obviously not. What a sweet girl! Trunks, forget Pan... Medea can make you forget Pan._

_But I think what I like most about Medea is her resemblance to Pan! I'm such a sick fuck. When am I going to admit to myself that I lost Pan and I'll never be able to get her back?_

Para began to move around slowly and pick up her discarded clothing with shaking hands. Her dress was ripped and she pulled another out of the dresser in an irritated huff. "Trunks, I don't have to be a genius to know you're not thinking about me."

She began to tug her clothes on with angry and abrupt motions. _Be angry, be angry, Para. My time will be close to ending soon. Time to end this 'date.'_

"Medea, what are you doing?" he asked her.

"I have to get out of here... maybe take a walk to clear my head. This was a strange experience. You turned blonde and you really hurt me. Now you won't even talk to me about what happened..."

Trunks looked up at her with sad anxious eyes, "No. Don't go, Medea... I need you. I... don't want to be alone."

Para paused in midstride as she had turned to leave. She looked back at Trunks and saw him sitting on the bed cross-legged and looking slightly devastated. She was briefly reminded of the Chibi Trunks from her dream. She heard his thoughts about missing Pan and needing Pan, and her heart went out to him. She had intended to make him hurt and angry, but she still loved him and it was hard to see him this way.

She looked down at her watch and saw that she had eight minutes remaining. She sighed, "What's wrong?"

"She hates me," he said softly.

She only heard it because of her superhuman hearing. She moved back to him and sat beside him on the bed, stroking his arm gently. It was one of the rare times in this escapade she felt genuine love and concern for him. His little sister's affection mixed in with his lover's adoration, and both of their remorse.

"She really hates me," he said again.

"No, she doesn't," she told him as she put her arms around him and held him in a comforting way.

"I'm sure she knows what I've done. If she didn't hate me before, she'll hate me now."

"I don't hate you. I never could," she said, kissing him gently on the lips. Then she remembered who she was and added, "Not that you seem to care about that much at the moment."

He took her hands into his, "Of course I care."

"No, Trunks," she said, shaking her head. "You don't care about me. I don't even think you care about her. How can you propose to one woman and then sleep with another a few days later? You act like you were so heartbroken over Pan, but obviously you don't care about her as much as you thought."

There was a pause before he said too firmly, "Maybe I don't!"

It hurt her to hear him say that, but she continued, "Well... most men are the fickle, cheating type. It can't be helped."

"I'm not," said Trunks, grasping Medea by the shoulders, "I'm not. Are you reconsidering being with me?"

"I just don't expect you to ever show me any kind of loyalty considering the lack of loyalty you have for someone you claim to love and supposedly wish to marry. You just slept with me but all you seem to care about is whether or not Pan hates you. I think I should go."

"No..." Trunks tightened his grip on her shoulders nervously, "I know I'm really messed up right now... but I know one thing for sure. I need you. Right now, in a million ways, I need you."

She silently studied his face in the dim light. Finally, Trunks sighed and spoke again:

"Please, will you let me hold you?"

_And time goes by so slowly_  
_The nights are cold and lonely_  
_I shouldn't be holding on_  
_But I'm still holding on for you_

She answered by moving close to him and letting him encircle her body with his arms before gently lowering her back down onto the bed. He held her tightly, and pressed his face against her chest. She felt the moisture from his wet cheeks against the skin of her breasts as she cradled his head gently.

"I'm sorry," he said, tightening his arms around her waist, "I'm just so fucked up. I'm sorry."

"Everyone is," she said in a soft voice as she kissed his hair. "Get some rest, Trunks."

He mumbled softly, "I didn't mean to injure you..."

"It's nothing at all."

His breathing began to slow down, and his thoughts became cloudy and insensible: _Pan... where are you? Why can't I sense you? I need you. Why are you hiding from me, Panny? Please, Panny. You feel so good in my arms. You're the only one. I love you, Pan... just stay with me._

His mind called out her name, over and over again, pleading and yearning for her.

Para felt herself swallowing as she wondered, _Does he somehow know in his heart that it's me?_

Para continued listening in on his jumbled thoughts curiously, but with growing concern over the time she had remaining. _Please fall asleep in six minutes Trunks. Please fall asleep in six minutes._

Para began to gently stroke Trunks' back in a soothing manner which she hoped would make him feel tired and drift off to sleep.

As she did this, the turbulent thoughts swimming in his mind began to calm. Trunks mused to himself_, Would it be so terrible... if I ended up with Medea instead of Pan? _He ran his hands over her hair, and deeply inhaled her scent. He thought he could make out cinnamon and sandalwood. _Dende, she's... I've never held her like this, but it's so comfortable. It's not strange or forced. I could do this every single night._

_You certainly could_, she inwardly remarked, _if you can fall asleep really fast. Maybe if I made you dinner and gave you powerful narcotics... anyway, I'll figure that out later. For now... I need you to fall asleep in five minutes. Hurry, please._

She continued with her soothing caresses and within a few minutes he was thankfully asleep. She edged away from him on the bed and gently lifted herself off the mattress. She looked down on him for a moment as she deftly pulled on her remaining clothing, thinking to herself:

_Pan was always there when you woke up. Para won't be._

Once clothed, she grabbed her purse and used her ki to float an inch above the ground. She quickly and soundlessly floated down to her garage. Para unlocked her door and entered the car. She sat there for a few seconds, looking at the time count down on her watch.

When the break in fusion occurred, Pan lay limply against the driver side door. She stared blankly through the windshield. Being Para was protection against feeling too many emotions. Being herself was sometimes still far too painful.

"Well... things are moving along faster than I expected," remarked Bra with a grimace.

Pan didn't seem to hear her. The dark haired girl stared into space, unmoving.

_Here I go again_  
_I promised myself I wouldn't think of you today_  
_But I'm standing at your doorway_  
_I'm calling out your name because I can't move on_

"Earth to Pan?" asked Bra gently.

When her friend still didn't respond, Bra shuffled around in her seat. She felt the urge to make one of the jokes she would normally make about the situation, or to complain about how Pan had basically forced her to sleep with her brother. But it felt like something serious had happened which she didn't quite understand.

Bra hadn't really felt like she had been present in Para's body or calling any shots for most of the fusion. She had been aware of what was happening, but from a distance. She had been aware of Pan's emotions, and aware of her own emotions... but she had almost felt like for several minutes she hadn't existed at all.

"Panny," she spoke again, trying to reach her friend and cheer her up. "I'm so, so sorry. I never knew that my brother was so..."

Pan pulled her face from where it was pressed unflatteringly against the window and extended her hand to Bra in a tired and shaky motion. The keys that were clasped in her fingers jangled musically.

"Can you please drive tonight, Bra?"

* * *

Thanks to everyone who has been chatting with me on Facebook or messaging me and keeping me in line with writing this story! Any encouragement is welcomed even if it's in the form of death threats like "I will murder you if you do not continue." That's cool! It's all super helpful.

The Facebook thing is great! I love being able to talk to you guys. Please add me if you'd like to keep in touch: Nadia Scrieva

Remember I write completely battery-powered by reviews! Thank you to the following people for continuously recharging my batteries:

**Anmylica**: Thank you for your messages urging me to write this! I always need the push. I'm so glad that you enjoyed Goten going nuts because I think I freaked everyone else out with that, lol. You're the best ever, and I will definitely include that response you wrote here when I get to the flames. =D

**jazzyfizzler**: Your reviews are so entertaining they have got to be better than my story! Lol! I was laughing so much. I love how you say I'm using the "real-life GT facts"! XD Woot! I am so surprised you liked the prom scene so much! It makes me rethink my whole strategy, for I threw it in there as total filler to break things up and include more Trunks. I AM SO GLAD I made you LOVE TRUNKS a little bit! Yayyy! (Not that it's really that difficult, he IS Trunks!) But I am super curious to see how you respond to THIS chapter! Love him or hate him? I have no clue which way you'll go! I'm excited! Oh, and thanks for commenting on my condom jokes! Weee, those were fun to write. ^-^ (I managed to use the verb "fizzle" in this chapter! In honor of your great name with 4 Zs in it.)

**DaBigWilliG**: Thank you for both your review and all of your encouragement and chat on Facebook! You're a huge motivation to me and I am so glad you are enjoying the story. Please bug me about it all the time, it really helps force me to write! =D I am pleased you liked my little fusion-scare.

**gina31486**: Oooh, thank you for your comments on Marron's kids! It was tough to create new characters that fit well into the DBZ series. But I know that Uub came from a pretty large family and I can really imagine him having several kids! What you said about becoming a more active participant in the site was so very sweet. I can tell you that your reviews are worth sooo sooo very much to me, and I really do feed a lot of my creativity off them! Thank you for taking the time to write such thorough and awesome and super encouraging feedback. ^-^I tried to give you a bit of a preview of Trunks being jealous here, even though it's still unfounded jealousy. I really can't wait to hear what you think of the chapter!

**aliyvanoble14**: THANK YOU for your awesome review! I loved this: "Everything you writing is either HILARIOUS or it makes me Sad or ANGRY. GRAGRGAGWK." That's EXACTLY what I'm trying to achieve here! I'm trying to put everyone on a terrible emotional roller-coaster. ^-^ I KNOW what you mean about the OPP! They are definitely hard-asses. Thank you for giving me the drunken rambling because I loved it! I wrote most of this chapter pretty sober, but I plan to drive home to my place later in the day (I'm at my mom's now) and work on chapter 14 totally wasted! Hehe. And also thank you for being the only one who commented on the Kikoukenjutsu Sword School. It's hard to stay even remotely canon but I'm sooo trying. Lol. Please feel free to say anything you want in your reviews, however nuts it seems! I love it! =D

**dolce-bebe**: I am so pleased you enjoyed my take on Marron's character! I'm also delighted that I made you laugh out loud at work, weee! ^-^ Thanks for reviewing both chapters, you are so so awesome.

**Leecassi**: Thank you once more for your lovely review! I'm glad you think that Marron finding out makes the plan seem more "real"! I love that word, hehe.

**Shahi**: Your review made me laugh from the first line: "Oh snap! Marron the super sleuth is in the house!" Hehehe. Thanks for being another supporter of the powerful Marron character. Your review was awesome and your feedback is so helpful and encouraging! Thank you so very very much for being so kind. ^-^

**The0Blind0Writer**: Wow, I read your bio and found it so interesting! I can't believe I have more than one male reader, lol. Of course I will advertise your stories. =) I begun reading them but haven't had a chance to catch up because I've been so terribly busy for the past two weeks. I am excited to read and review as soon as possible. Thanks for your great feedback on my Marron character and the facial recognition software, hehe.

**Supersaiyan2479**: Yes, it's pretty hard to write such long chapters. But after forcing myself for years to write essays about OTHER PEOPLE'S writing it's absolutely heavenly to write something that I enjoy writing instead of something I have to write. It's blissful heaven and the words flow easily! I see that your newer chapters on Death Heart are also pretty long! I am going to go and read them as soon as I post this.

**famoso**: You are right again! There is definitely a reason for Marron to be here, or perhaps a few reasons! Glad you like my badass-Videl. She is SO much fun to write!

**Hanako: **Thank you so much for your review and your Facebook comments! Hehe, I take all of it into consideration. =) Part of the reason I posted this now is because of your comment on my status. But I especially enjoyed your remark on my question "How rough is too rough?" LOL! Do you think I went too rough? ;)

**Arian**: You are completely right about Goku. Thanks for mentioning that! You really got my mental wheels turning. Thanks for suggesting "Breaking Free" by necowaffer. I begun reading it but I haven't had a chance to continue and I'm going to do it almost immediately after I publish this and triple-check for errors. I'm super excited about the story and I will let you know what I think about it when I finish. I don't think I've ever read a serious and almost epic G/B. Usually G/B is just a side dish for the T/P.

**Suzki**: Well, in that flashback I wanted to leave doubt there about whether there was a lemon or not. I hope this chapter has proven to you that I am not a complete chicken when it comes to lemons. =D

**Talk smith kid**: She may have been only a child... but I think trying to seduce Trunks fits well with Pan's character of not wanting to be seen as a child. I am sorry there were no flashbacks here, I promise some more soon!

**mali86**: You are too kind. I hope you liked this one!

**The-lastsaiyan1991**: Thank you for all of your lovely reviews! I'm glad I surprised you with angry Goten and made you laugh with Pan thinking of tying Marron up. =) It is so sweet of you to review every single chapter. You're so considerate!

**Marie Fortune**: Wow! So glad you liked the prom scene! I will try my best to add more memories.

**WingedKiller**: Thanks!

**Gomen...sorry i havnt been updatin 4 a while**: Your name wasn't placed in your review, I guess the website screwed up, so I'm responding to the first line of your review. Please let me know who you are so I can properly put your name here, but I want to thank you for such a sweet review! It really was adorable and it cheered me up immensely to read it. Of course there's such a thing as fusion food. =) Hehehe.

**TP for the win**: When will this story be finished? God, I have no idea. I estimate another two months or so, but I'll be working at it overtime!

**anonymous**: You asked "So did pan lose her virginity to trunks in his limo befor the prom I thought that happend always after the night." Unfortunately, Pan and Trunks wouldn't tell me the details when I asked them. I guess we just have to guess what happened or see if it's revealed in later chapters.

* * *

Now for my flame!

**review: **You wrote "through this whole chapter i couldn't believe how annoying marron was being. kill her off" Sorry. This is a DBZ fanfic and in DBZ you don't just "kill off" annoying characters because they are annoying. In fact, sometimes they are even granted immortality. E.g. Roshi. So no, Marron's not going anywhere. In fact, I might just have her drink from the fountain of youth and live forever to annoy you! Muwhahaha! Except that doesn't really suit the story...

Really, making Marron smart isn't the worst thing I can do. I have the power to write a Pan/Master Roshi lemon. What? Don't think I'd do it? Watch this: Pan threw her body against Master Roshi and said, "Master Roshi, take me now!" He said, "OK." And they quickly took their clothes off and began to do it like they do on the discovery channel.

See? It could be worse. I'm pretty powerful. =) I wasn't going to leave this response here, but Anmylica convinced me that I should, and she added her own note on the Marron situation. Also, I'd like to add that neither she nor I intend to be be mean about this.

_**From Anmylica**__: Personally, "review," I think Marron kicks butt in this story. I think she's the best character in this so far. Why do I think this? For several reasons. Reason #1: She's married to Uub with three kids. She's with an awesome guy and has awesome kids, which makes her completely cool in my book. Reason #2: She's an ex cop/detective. I'm a criminal justice major and my dad is a cop. There aren't many women who are detectives, so to see one in a story promotes that occupation to women and gives the impression that women can do it too pleases me. I think this is a positive thing, as women law enforcement officials actually can do certain jobs better than their male counterpart, and I encourage every woman to think about that as a career option. Reason #3: She's not a ** out to steal Trunks and/or Goten. She's happily married with three kids! She's a real person, not some bimbo there to present opposition to Pan and/or Bra! No, that opposition is Para, which is Pan and Bra! This is quite different from most T/P fictions, as usually Marron is portrayed as a money-grubbing, jealous, shallow ** with the whole "dumb blonde" stereotype. Reason #4: She is not a dumb blonde! Becoming a cop takes dedication, smarts, and great will power. You have to study, be physically in shape, be street-smart, and have that quintessential sixth and seventh sense to do that job. Plus, she's the one who put two and two together and came up with fifteen about who Para is. Bulma hasn't done that; Trunks hasn't done that; Vegeta hasn't done that, and neither has Goten! Reason #5: She's knows about Para now. Which means, given that she's a cop, she can help cover for Para. Ding! Ding! This AIDES in her cool factor! Because let's think back; Bulma wants a background check on Para, and if some other investigator did the check, that could cause some prettttty big problems for the girls. If it were someone who didn't realize that fusion was being used to exact revenge, then that person would turn in a blank report, Bulma would get suspicious, and that could mean Para's identity could be exposed that much sooner! Get it? So is Marron annoying? Um, no, no, not so much. She's actually their saving grace in all this, because Marron is just as ** at how Trunks and Goten treated Pan and Bra, and she wants to see them suffer just as much, if not more-so because of how much she cares for Pan and Bra. She's not going to tell Bulma what the girls are up to! She's going to cover for them! Because at some point Bulma is going to want that report, and now the girls can give doctored pictures, documents, and a fake background history to Marron to put in that report. This is a good thing! Reason #6: She acts like a real person! I'd be pretty ** off too if the girls didn't tell me what was going on when I could help them. At the very least, even if I couldn't, I would be mad enough that I would want to know what revenge they were planning so I could at least provide moral support. She was angry and hurt that they didn't confide in her, and that's real emotion. Reason #7: She's blonde. Enough said. Reason #8: She makes you annoyed for no reason. (Scratch that last one Nadia haha. I just had to put that in there.)_

_So Marron is annoying to you, huh? Well, then, considering everything I just said above, I guess she has good reason to annoy you. (Rolls eyes. Again, Nadia, scratch this!) Regardless of whether you see how much of an important role she plays in this story, she's here to stay. I would suggest that you, and every other reader who usually does not like Marron (and I'll agree, most of the time she is very irritating) to give her a chance and to think about and analyze what you have read so far to see how valuable she is, and give her a chance. If you will look at her character in this story in the way I do which I have stated above, I think you will be pleasantly surprised and you might come to like her in this story. I'm not suggesting you love her in every fictional work (because let's face it; most people don't write her as the lovable girl-next-door type), but do give her a chance to grow on you. Nadia is a great writer, who is no where near the mediocrity of those who write Marron in a negative way. She's studied literature and writing, and she knows what she's doing. Trust in her._

* * *

It's so awesome to have a friend stick up for me! I'm getting all teary-eyed now. Anmylica, you're the best!

If you want to read more stories, check out these great fics which are currently being worked on:

**Moments Between Sleep** by jazzyfizzler

**Contagious** by Leecassi

**Death Heart** by Supersaiyan2479

**School? **and **A Disturbed DemiSaiyan** by The0Blind0Writer

**Saving Space** by WingedKiller

I'm sure all of these writers would appreciate your feedback!

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I promise I won't make you wait so long for the next one.

I can't wait to read what you thought of the graphic and violent sex scene!


	14. Rabid Pan Fans

_Chapter Fourteen: Rabid Pan Fans_

In case I didn't write the idea well enough, the reason Pan asked Bra to drive in the end of the last chapter is because she was miserable and exhausted of being in control. Pan had been "driving" Para through that metaphorical car crash of an experience with Trunks, and for the first time in the story Pan wants Bra to take the literal wheel. The car symbolizes Para there.

Major thanks to **Anmylica** for previewing the first bit and adding some hilarious lines of her own!

Love,

PanHopeNvs (Nadia)

* * *

Pan coughed as the rusty collar dug into her throat. She struggled against the metal cuffs digging into her wrists and ankles as she stared at the crowd of her accusers.

"You have been found guilty of murder and you must suffer the punishment!"

"Please, I didn't mean to! I saw her with him and I couldn't think! I couldn't..."

"We all loved Pan Son, and you destroyed her. For that, we will destroy you."

"What?" Pan writhed in the restraints which tightly bound her body to a brick wall. "But... I am Pan Son! What are you talking about? I'm right here."

"Liar!"

"What? Can't you see that..."

"YOU EVIL, CONNIVING, CHEAP SLUT!" screamed a shrill female voice from somewhere in the distance.

"What did Miss Son ever do to you?" asked a gruff man's voice, "You should pay!"

Pan could hear the voices, but she couldn't see the people they belonged to—the crowd was too thick.

"I'm so confused," muttered Pan, "What the hell are you people talking about? I AM PAN!"

"We understand that you have many delusions, but that doesn't excuse what you did! It's time for your execution."

"My... execution?" Pan repeated stupidly.

"READY!" shouted a man dressed in military attire. In the empty lot, in the area fenced in by high-voltage and barbed wire precautions, a hundred soldiers with massive machine guns surrounded Pan in a semi-circle. They all moved their weapons to their shoulders.

"AIM!" The soldiers all simultaneously prepared their weapons, and Pan's eyes widened. She was going to be executed by a firing squad for a crime she hadn't committed! There was some mistake.

Pan yanked at the tight chains and tried desperately to break free. The metal cut into her skin so deeply that she saw flashes of white bone under her skin at her wrists. It was futile. She couldn't access her strength, and neither could she use her ki to fly away. Why couldn't they see that the person they were accusing her of murdering was herself? And she couldn't have murdered herself because she was alive, wasn't she?

"Stop! Don't..."

"FIRE!" The machine guns all begun to sound in unison, as though each were an instrument in an orchestra of deafening, endless thunder.

Pan gasped as she saw the thousands of bullets heading towards her in slow motion. She urgently tried to power up, but she couldn't.

When the first bullet was inches away from colliding with her forehead, she sighed in relief and remembered that bullets had never been able to pierce her skin. They had always bounced off her comically. She smiled and stared rebelliously at the bullet with a glance that said "Bring it on!" She welcomed the impact that would probably feel like nothing more than a heavy downpour of rain.

When the first bullet ripped right through her head, a scream was torn from her throat in surprise at the searing pain. That impact was followed by hundreds more within the second as the bullets tore into her body relentlessly.

Pan fought to breathe as her lungs were pumped full of metal. Suddenly knew she was moments away from death. _Trunks, _she thought feebly, trying to reach him telepathically. _I'm sorry! I love you!_

"More nightmares, Panny?"

Pan's eyes snapped open and she sat up abruptly, "Oh. Another dream."

She ran both hands over her sweaty forehead, lifting her bangs back away from her skin as she exhaled. "I was just gunned down by a firing squad. How was your night?"

"Way worse. Way, way worse," said Bra softly, wrapping her crocheted shawl tighter around her shoulders.

Pan saw that her friend looked slightly shaken and she automatically scooted over in bed and patted the spot beside her. Bra soundlessly accepted the invitation and joined her. The two girls stared forward into space, each lost in her own thoughts for several minutes.

Pan was suddenly distracted from the sickening feeling that her execution dream had left her with, remembering how Bra had always used to tell her about her bad dreams during their countless sleepovers. Bra had always been far too embarrassed to tell anyone in her family when her nightmares frightened her, but Pan had been close to her age and her best friend.

Even when Pan felt afraid herself, she had acted tough for Bra's sake. Little did they know that they'd still be as vulnerable and terrified at 27 and 28 as they had been at 7 and 8.

"What happened, Bra-chan?" asked Pan, turning to her friend. Although she was a year younger, she'd always been the one Bra looked up to for comfort and protection. Bra sighed and gave a small smile before glancing at Pan.

"I was able to sleep for a few hours after I got out of the regeneration tank, but I kept having these ridiculously miserable dreams where I was having violent sex with my brother. Every time I snapped awake I told myself, 'It was just a dream.' But then I realized it wasn't."

Pan felt an asteroid-sized chunk of guilt crash into her, "Dende, I'm sorry..."

"I thought denial might help. I kept reaffirming the denial to myself: 'It was just dream, Bra, it was just a dream. No, you did not just get your junk torn up by your own brother. That wasn't real... That wasn't real...'"

Pan bit her lip, "I didn't know he was going to be like_ that_."

"Go to your happy place, Bra. Go to your happy place! And if that doesn't work, there's a huge stash of tequila in the cupboard. But I still couldn't sleep."

"At the very least, we're moving along with the plan really quickly! We've already seduced him, and before long I'm sure you'll be putting me through the same torture with Goten."

"It's not you I want to torture, Panny," said Bra as a determined look descended on her face at the mention of Goten.

"I am really sorry you had to witness... rather, experience last night, and the whole thing with Trunks..."

"No. Don't apologize. I mean, it was whacked out. It was… uncomfortable. But so are periods. It's not breaking my heart. I can deal."

Pan smiled at Bra, "You deal with it for me, and I'll deal with it for you."

"I was just surprised last night, more than anything. I've never seen Trunks like that! He was... intense. Insane! How did you put up with him?"

"Well... it's partly my fault. He's normally almost that rough with me... it's just what he's been used to for a while. I'm always Super Saiyan and powered up close to my max when we have sex. You know how it is... you get lost in the feeling; your body suddenly has a mind of its own. All your focus is on amplifying those sensations. So being powered down to the minimum was a huge change..."

"If Para had been human… I mean, if he'd done that with a human girl instead of her…"

"I know," said Pan, with a small shudder. "I guess we saved some poor girl's life?"

"We're fucking heroes," added Bra with a serious nod.

"Literally!"

They looked at each other and laughed.

"I guess now I can say that I've seen my brother at his very worst," said Bra.

Pan's lips softened and the tension around her eyes smoothed into the most subtle indication of mirth. "I'd rather be with him at his very worst than anyone else at their best. That's what scares me most of all."

"I know that feeling. It sucks."

"Yeah. Trunks is still asleep?" Pan asked.

Bra glanced to the south, "Yeah. He's dreaming about you and the villa in the Bahamas..."

"Stop! I don't want to hear it," said Pan, covering her ears. "I can feel that Vegeta's awake, doing warm up exercises."

"Yes, dad's warming up, but really his mind is still focused on last night with mom... apparently… no way! They had laboratory sex… at their age!"

"Stop your spying, Bra. Want to come train with me and your dad in the Gravity Room? Since Trunks is asleep at Para's house we can have breakfast at Bulma's."

"No, thanks!" said Bra with a yawn, "I'm going to send Trunks a text message about how Medea had to go to work, and try to get a bit more rest."

"Lazybones," said Pan as she swung her legs out of bed.

Bra pulled the blankets over her head, "You love me anyway."

* * *

"But where's the dirt?"

Bulma asked this with a deep frown as she flipped through the pages of the file she had commissioned from Marron.

"I don't want to hear about how great she is. I want to hear about the crap what she's done. If she's ever stolen a sprig of parsley from the she's ever left a restaurant without paying her bill. If she's ever lied, cheated, swindled. I want the dirt!"

"There is no dirt, Bulma," said Marron softly, "She just seems to genuinely be a good girl."

"NO!" shouted Bulma, flinging the files across her desk, her chest heaving in rage. "No! I refuse to believe it! If you search harder… if I pay you more, can you find me something I can use against her, Marron?"

Marron nibbled on her bottom lip, "Bulma, I used every resource available to me. There's nothing more on her. There's literally no information on the girl that isn't in those files. I even included her school reports from as far back as pre-schoolkindergarten. I think you will just have to accept the fact that your son is actually dating a… a nice girl!"

Bulma sat down in her office chair abruptly and burst into tears. She held her face in her hands and sobbed.

Marron stood up in a panic and raised her hands, uncertain what to do. She hated lying and she felt responsible for whatever had caused Bulma's pain. She ended up going over to the older woman and hugging her tenderly.

"There, there, Mrs. B," said Marron softly, rubbing Bulma's back. "Shhh. It's OK."

"Oh, Marron!" said Bulma, wiping at the streams of tears on her cheeks, "He's really dead. He's really dead!."

"What?" asked Marron, suddenly confused.

"Eleven years!" Bulma sobbed, "And he's not coming back this time. I'll never see him again. I never wanted to be that woman—the annoying motherwoman who interfered in her children's lives… but can you blame an old woman for hoping? For praying?"

"Bulma…"

"All I wanted," said Bulma through sniffles, "Was to see Goku's smile again on the faces of my grandchildren."

Marron exhaled. At least she was intimately acquainted with this sorrow. Both her husband and her father were frequently moved to tears by their memories of Goku.

"He was my oldest, dearest friend… I just wanted to see that innocent light that was always in his eyes shine once more in them."

Bulma wiped her sleeve across her cheeks, "I'm sorry for falling apart like this, Marron. It was too perfect, you know? Trunks and Pan. Bra and Goten. It was just too perfect to last."

Marron released Bulma when she saw the older woman regaining her composure, and she placed her hands on her hips.

"Maybe I'm crazy, Bulma. But they're all my closest friends and I know they can't live without each other. Who cares who Trunks is dating today? If I were you, I wouldn't give up on those Goku-like grandchildren just yet."

Bulma looked up at Marron with a small hopeful smile.

"But I also wouldn't try to kill or incarcerate Trunks' current girlfriend," Marron added with a smile. "I think Trunks is just going through a rough spot, and he needs his mom to be supportive and to give him his freedom."

"You're absolutely right!" said Bulma, standing up. "I should meet this girl. This Medea Meadows."

Marron wanted to smack herself in the head. _Damn. I meant "leave them alone" not "get even more in their faces."_

"Thanks, Marron!" said Bulma, suddenly beaming from ear to ear, and tapping a fingernail against her head. "You gave me a brilliant idea."

* * *

Bra was sipping red wine out of an ornate glass as she lounged in her dressing gown on the couch. Her TV had been replaced so that she could watch her favourite soap operas.

When Pan entered the house, Bra didn't look up from her program, but continued sipping her wine and inquired:

"How was training?"

"Painful, as always. Your dad wants you to come train with us next time."

"Really? Well... maybe I will," Bra smiled secretively to herself, "He'll be so confused when I can read his every move before he makes it. I may not be as strong as you two, but I have other talents."

"I'm pretty sure Vegeta moves faster than he thinks," said Pan, rubbing her shoulder absently. "Would you like to train a bit now? I'm not completely worn out yet."

"What?" remarked Bra insurprise. "My dad didn't wear you out?"

"Yeah. We were actually interrupted..."

"Whoa," that got Bra's attention and she pressed the mute button on her remote. "Do tell! What could possibly interrupt my father's rigorous training regimen?"

"What else? Your mother."

Bra twirled her glass between her fingers thoughtfully, "But my mom would never..."

"It's_ that_ time of year."

Bra froze abruptly and her eyes widened, "That time? As in _that_ time?"

The wine glass fell from her fingers and smashed on her varnished hardwood floor.

"Calm down, Bra..."

"No. No way. It can't be August. Is it _August_?"

"Yeah. Apparently. The first of August. The Time Chamber messed up my sense of time too."

"Oh, shit!" screeched Bra, "Pan, you know what this means!"

"No. No. No!" said Pan in a panic as she raised two fingers to her forehead.

In an instant, Bra was before her and grabbing her wrist to prevent her from teleporting across the globe, "WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO WEAR? OH, DENDE! I'm going to call up the designers..."

"No!" repeated Pan, simply and firmly, "Don't you understand? We... don't have dates this year. For the past five years we went with the guys."

"Well, for the rest of our lives before that we went WITHOUT the guys. I mean, they were THERE, they just weren't _with_ us. Why the hell do we need dates?"

"Look, Bra. Of course YOU should go. You're the Capsule Corp. heiress and it's your family's major party. It's YOUR party, and you should also probably help your mom out with the planning before she drives Vegeta nuts," Pan smiled as she thought of Vegeta's legendary annoyance with the ball. "But I just think I should sit it out this year."

"NO WAY, PAN SON!" Bra screamed. "Your gramps is going to be there! You always sit at his table. It's the biggest party in the WORLD! If we miss this party it means we're NOBODIES! Do you want to be a NOBODY?"

"To be honest, I don't really care," said Pan with a non-committal shrug of her shoulders. "You can go be a somebody, while I'll relax at home and be a nobody."

"I see what the problem is! You're ashamed that you went from being the President's girlfriend to being just another guest. Well, he's not even the president anymore, so you don't..."

"No, that's not it! I just..." Pan laughed nervously. "I don't want to be in the same room with him. I don't want to dance with him. I know he'll ask. It's tradition. He's always saved a dance for me... even when I was a little girl. "

"Tradition..." murmured Bra thoughtfully. Then her head turned sharply to the west, "Oh, Kami. Quickly, we have to go!"

* * *

Trunks shifted the giant bouquet in his arms so he could press the doorbell.

Para answered the door a few moments later dressed casually.

"Trunks... I wasn't expecting you."

"I can't believe you went to work in your condition!" he scolded, "When I woke up and saw that you were gone and read your text message I was shocked. You should have been resting, you were..."

"I'm perfectly fine," she assured him with a smile. "You're sweet to be so concerned."

"No," he said, extending his arms to give her the two-dozen long stemmed red roses. "I'm a careless fool to have hurt you in the first place."

"Please don't insult yourself," she said as she breathed in the fragrant aroma. "These things happen."

"They shouldn't. You were bleeding so..."

"Honestly! Haven't you ever seen a bit of blood before?" she said with a laugh, turning on her heel, "Please come in, but I won't be here long—I have to leave for work again shortly."

Trunks followed her in and waited for her to place the roses in water before he reached into his pocket.

"Medea, take this. If you eat it you will feel a lot better," he said, stretching out his hand with a small green bean resting on his palm.

She looked at it for a moment and then back up at him before reaching out gingerly and taking the senzu. She stared down at it, chewing her lip in deliberation.

"It isn't a hallucinogen is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"No, of course me, it works! You'll feel better once you eat it," he said encouragingly.

Para made a face, "Alright, I will... but let me get some water to wash it down first. I bet it tastes horrible... all medicine does!"

She quickly headed for the kitchen and opened a cabinet to retrieve a glass. She tucked the precious bean into the corner of the cabinet and she filled the glass with tap water and quickly began to chug it as Trunks entered the kitchen.

"That didn't taste as bad as I thought it would," she remarked to him with a smile. "But I don't see how a little lima bean is going to... oh! Wow, I suddenly feel good as new. What kind of bean is that?"

"It's a family secret," he said, approaching her and sliding his arms around her affectionately. "I hope you can still stand to be around me after what I did to you."

"Well, I won't be stripping my clothes off and begging for you to sex me up any time soon, if that's what you mean." She smirked at him playfully as she spoke.

Trunks chuckled, "Medea... I wanted to invite you to a special event with me."

"Event...?"

She heard his thoughts and her body stiffened. A cold sweat broke out over her shoulders. She watched the images of Bulma talking to Trunks float through his head, and she shook her head before he began speaking. She didn't want to believe what she was seeing in his mind.

"The Capsule Corp. Charity Ball..."

By the time he had spoken the words, she had tightly clutched the countertop and was trying to refrain from hyperventilating. If she went to the ball as Para… she wouldn't be able to go as Pan or Bra. Her mind reeled as she tried to wrap her mind around the invitation.

"...Is everything OK?"

"I thought that the tickets to that ball were ridiculously expensive..."

"They are..."

"Something like a million dollars?"

"Yes, but it all goes to charity. Most guests are CEOs of major companies or celebrities..."

"Well, I can't possibly afford a ticket!"

"Medea, hon," said Trunks with a laugh, "I wouldn't invite you to something like this and expect you to buy your own ticket. Besides, I am the pres... was the president, still am the fake-figurehead president, and I can surely bring a guest with me on the house. It is still my house..."

"No!"

Trunks frowned, "Why not? I promise that you'll enjoy your time! It's just a big fun party. It's not work! We'll spend most of the night dancing... and the rest of it hanging out with my mom and dad and my sister. Also, you can meet Goten's family..."

"I don't know..." she mumbled. Para realized that she had been nervously twirling a strand of her hair around her finger and she stared at the deep indigo strand with irritation. _I can't exactly meet your sister, Trunks. She's in my DNA._

Trunks nervously ran his thumb over his chin. _She has to agree. She just has to! How else am I going to dance with her in front of Pan and cause some drama?_

_Oh, so that's his intention. Imagine his surprise when Pan doesn't show up at all!_ She answered him coyly, "I just... don't have anything to wear!"

_Why does every woman I know repeat that phrase on an endless loop? Especially mom and Bra and Marron. But never Pan. Pan would insist that the dress she wore last year was good enough until one of us forced her to get something new. I wish I could ask Pan to go with me. No, I wish it was just understood that we were going together… naturally._

"I'll take you shopping for a new dress," Trunks offered, smiling.

Para ran her tongue against the inside of her teeth before speaking, "Fine. You've convinced me."

"Great!" said Trunks happily, as he picked her up around the waist and spun her around in the air before kissing her.

"Trunks!" she said laughing after returning his kiss. _Wow, you would almost believe he's actually happy to be going with me. But he's just happy that he has a chance of possibly rubbing me in my face and making me jealous of myself._

Trunks stared at Para through his laughing blue eyes and briefly wondered to himself whether he was happy she was helping him to make Pan jealous... or happy to actually be spending more time with her. It was hard to say.

He abruptly pulled her into a tight embrace, "I'm sorry again about yesterday. If you ever let me... I promise I'll make it up to you."

"I bet you could," she said, closing her eyes as he kissed her neck softly. She knew he could.

His hands moved over her back with incredible care and gentleness, in a stark contrast to his previous manner the night before.

She felt his touch stir the embersfires within her and she cleared her throat and stepped back, "I should grab some coffee before work. Would you like a cup?"

"No thanks," he answered.

She grabbed the pot of cold black coffee, and chugged down the liquid in it. She made a face as the disgusting liquid touched her tongue and cascaded down her throat. There was nothing worse than the taste of bitter old coffee.

_Come to think of it, how many days has this been here for? Maybe since I bought the house. I don't remember ever making coffee here. Gross!_

Trunks was laughing. "I know what that face means." He took the coffee pot from her and tossed the old liquid down the sink before placing the pot back into the coffeemaker, "Let me make you a good cup of coffee."

She watched his hands and forearms working with the machine and felt a small smile come to her lips. There was something about this domestic scene of Trunks with the coffeemaker which was incredibly comforting to watch. Maybe it reminded her of when she was a little girl, too small to even reach the counter-top, and her big brother would make her green tea.

"How do you take it?" he asked.

"Black," she answered automatically.

He opened the cupboard doors searching for sugar and creamer and added them anyway.

"It will taste better this way," he said as he handed her the perfectly made cup of coffee, "My gir… my ex-girlfriend always said she took her coffee black, but she hated the taste. If I didn't add cream and sugar she never drank more than a tenth of the cup."

She sipped on the coffee gratefully, "Well, I guess I can't fool you. This is delicious."

"Everyone seems to think that drinking coffee black makes them seem tougher," commented Trunks, "But it tastes so bad that I'd rather be considered weak."

Para laughed, "Aren't you just full of wisdom!"

"No, seriously. Even my dad drinks his coffee with cream and sugar, and he's the toughest person I know."

"I'm convinced. I won't have it black anymore," she said, her eyes twinkling at him from over the top of the mug.

When she finished sipping the liquid and placed the mug down on the counter-top, Trunks moved in close to her.

"What time does your shift start?" he asked.

"In about ten minutes," she said with a sigh, "I'm already running late, but I was so tired I thought I should grab a coffee before I fall asleep on my feet at work."

"You poor thing," he said, squeezing her shoulders gently. "Can I give you a lift?"

"No, no, thanks," she said quickly, "I have my own car."

"What is it?" he asked.

"What is… what?" she said, panicking. Did she have any cars in her capsule boxes that Trunks wouldn't recognize as belonging to Pan or Bra?

"Your car," he asked, "I haven't seen you drive it yet."

"Oh, it's just… an ancient old thing!" she said with a laugh. "I shouldn't let you see it, it's downright embarrassing."

"Well, would you like a new one?" asked Trunks, fishing into his pocket, "I have a few right here that I hardly ever use…"

"No, no… my old thing's fine. It works, although I'm embarrassed to be seen driving it."

"How about… a new top of the line capsule car?"

"Trunks!" she gasped, "Those things cost a small fortune. I couldn't accept it."

"My family does make them, you know," he said with a laugh, placing the capsule in her hand, "I have plenty to spare."

She looked down at the capsule which he had closed her fingers around and back up at him, "Thank you. I've always wanted one of these! I guess I should probably get back to work now."

She stood on her tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek and smiled as she headed for the door. He followed behind her, exiting the house with her as she locked up.

She stretched out her hand and was about to pop open the capsule when Trunks grabbed her hand.

"Wait! You should have a FUSION!"

"What…?" she asked, nearly stumbling. She caught the railing of the stairs and gripped it until she felt the metal being crushed beneath her fingers. Her eyebrows furrowed and she took a deep shuddering breath, refusing to be scared by his use of the word this time.

Trunks dug into his capsule box frantically, "It's a brand new gas-electric hybrid modeled after the Ford Fusion! Imports are really in fashion this year."

"Oh, of course. The Ford Fusion," she said, shaking her head, "How lovely."

"It's still a prototype," he said as he tossed the capsule , "But I really have high hopes for this model."

When the smoke cleared and the gift was revealed, Para smiled at the shiny deep blue automobile. She handed him back the initial capsule he'd given her and kissed him on the cheek again.

_I hope she likes it, _thought Trunks inwardly. _I remember my colleague saying to me once that if you gave a woman a nice car she would forgive anything wrong you'd done in the recent past and be especially affectionate to you in the near future._

Para almost laughed. _He wants affection and forgiveness? Aw. Poor little boy. _While she wasn't THAT impressed with his gift (she had several custom made vehicles already in her purse), in the interest of seduction (and in the interest of her con) she knew she should act as though she were incredibly impressed.

"It's simply gorgeous, Trunks! That midnight blue almost matches my hair exactly. Finally, I won't be ashamed to drive into work and park beside all of those wealthy doctors who have been working for years. You're so good to me." She spoke softly, moving close to him and brushing her lips against his.

"I'm so glad you like it," he responded with a pleased smile. "Anything for my girl."

"I so badly wish I could stay and… spend some time with you. But I must go! I hope I'll see you soon, Trunks. Thank you again for the car!" she said fondly as she waved and entered the vehicle. When Para sat behind the wheel and turned the ignition key she exhaled a pent-up breath. _Could the word "fusion" possibly come up any MORE around him? Seriously._When she pressed her foot on the gas pedal she couldn't help but grin.

_It is fitting that I should drive a hybrid Fusion!_

* * *

It was Saturday morning and dawn was breaking. Para played with her wristbands nervously as she approached her first training session with her new sensei.

Hopefully she wouldn't knock his lights out and reveal herself. She had sedated herself extra-EXTRA heavily for this occasion. _Control, Para, control, _she told herself as she approached the dark haired man who was stretched out languidly on a rock and gazing at the sunrise.

When he was clearer within her view she gasped loudly, "WHAT are you doing?"

Goten turned around, startled from his restful pose on the rock, "What?"

She placed her hands on her hips, her eyes flaring angrily, "GOTEN SON. Just what is that object in your mouth?"

"This? It's a cigarette..."

"And what the HELL is it doing there? Since WHEN do you smoke?"

"I... just started a few days ago," mumbled Goten, feeling like a guilty child who had been caught doing something wrong.

"Does your MOTHER know you're smoking? Whose cigarettes are these?" asked Para, moving closer and examining the brand. The only member of the Z-team who smoked was Bulma, and Bra had convinced her mother to quit when she was a toddler. When Bra had learned that cigarettes were bad for you, that they made you unhealthy, she had promptly marched up to her mother and began kicking and screaming endlessly for hours.

"_Bra, please... you're giving me such a headache," complained an exhausted Bulma as she leaned back in her computer chair._

"_Woman! What on earth is wrong with the child? I can hear her THROUGH THE WALLS of the gravity chamber," shouted Vegeta as he approached them._

_Bra screamed louder when she saw her father._

"_Child!" he admonished, "Cease this infernal ruckus instantly! Who has been killed?"_

"_Daaaaaadddddyyy!" screamed little Bra, pointing at her mother miserably, "Mommy, won't stop smoking and Mrs. Chi-Chi says it's bad for you! Mommy will get sick! I don't want mommy to get sick!"_

_Bulma's face softened as she stared down at the little girl in her white flowered dress and ponytail. She guiltily glanced at the cigarette lying in the ashtray. She suddenly jumped in surprise as the ashtray was vaporized._

"_YOU HEARD THE CHILD, BULMA," Vegeta roared, "You will never touch another cigarette! I have always found those things disgusting."_

"_Vegeta," she said, swivelling in her chair and crossing her arms, "Don't you think you let your five year old daughter walk all over you a bit too much? You can't give in to her every wish or she'll grow up to be spoiled."_

"_Well, I didn't give into any of the boy's wishes and he still grew up spoiled. I might as well be kind to one of my children."_

_Bulma glanced at her husband affectionately, "Aw, Vegeta. You are such a softie."_

"_Woman, if you dare call me..."_

"_Mommy, Daddy," said Bra, tugging on Vegeta's sleeve, "Can I go play with Pan now?"_

"_No, Bra..." Bulma saw the enraged look Vegeta was giving her and she pressed the eraser end of a pencil against her temple, "Sure, sweetie."_

"_Thanks!" said Bra, holding out her arms to her father._

"_You want ANOTHER hug?" said Vegeta with a scowl._

"_No way, Daddy!" she said with a giggle, "I know the rules. Once a day when no one is looking."_

"_Then what do you want, child?"_

"_Can you please fly me to see Pan, daddy? I'm scared to fly alone."_

_Vegeta, unable to deny his daughter anything, had quietly cursed and picked the small girl up in his arms._

Her memory was interrupted by Goten's excuses and explanations, "I got them from a co-worker. Medea, I don't see what the problem is if I smoke once in a while…"

"I am a doctor, Goten! I see the insides of cancer patients on a basis which is far too regular for my liking. Do you know how many carcinogens are in cigarette smoke?"

"Dozens, I know, but…"

"No, buts!" she said passionately. "Do you think you're immune to cancer just because you're saiy... saying that you'll only smoke ONCE IN A WHILE? That's how it starts!"

"Medea, I didn't know you hated..."

"You quit smoking this instant or I'm leaving!"

"At this moment I almost feel like you're my girlfriend instead of Trun…"

"THE CIGARETTE IS STILL BURNING."

Goten glanced at her in mild surprise before he tossed the cigarette to the ground and snuffed it with the toe of his boot.

"I'm sorry…" he said softly, as he stared at her in a combination of admiration and surprise. Something in her bossy, demanding tone had reminded him a little of his mother, and a little of Bra.

"No," she said, shaking her head and hitting herself lightly in the forehead. "I shouldn't have exploded at you like that…"

"It's alright," he said with a laugh, "I'm glad you care enough about me to want me alive."

"Of course I do!" she exclaimed, stepping forward and embracing him gently. She buried her face into his chest, holding on for a second longer than she should have.

"You might be the only one," Goten said, swallowing as he returned the hug. He tried his best to suppress the feelings that her closeness aroused in him. _Get a grip, man. She's Trunks' girl now, and she's off limits._

_Perfect, _thought Para, unable to keep her pleased smirk away, "Well, teacher! As you know, I haven't got much time but I'm excited to be trained by you! Where do we begin?"

"Let's work a little bit on your speed and endurance by running laps around this field," said Goten, gesturing to the lush hilly green field.

She nodded, "Will you run with me, Goten?"

"Of course," he answered, "But don't feel ashamed if you can't keep up. I'm really, really very fit. Just try your best to keep me in sight!"

"I will," she said smiling. She had only asked Goten to run with her so that she could get an idea of what he considered 'normal' to set the maximum pace for her.

Goten began to lightly jog up the inclines and dips in the grassy field, and Para easily kept pace jogging beside him.

"Wow, Goten. You're very fast!" she commented, pretending to be out of breath, "I am trying my best to keep up with you."

"You're doing great, Medea!" he said with an encouraging Son smile.

They ran like this for about ten more minutes, engaging in light conversation before Para stopped and placed her hand on her knees, dramatically acting like she was gasping for breath.

"Oh… my… goodness," she said between huge fake wheezing breaths, "You're sooo fast! You must work out SO often."

"I used to, but it also comes naturally to me," he said, approaching her. "Let me try to teach you how to control your energy. My brother was able to teach Videl, so I should be able to teach you!"

He sat on the ground, cross legged, and Para smiled, sitting directly across from him. She had heard the story a hundred times growing up, of how her mother had blackmailed her father into teaching her how to fly, and how they had fallen in love. She knew that Goten had been a little kid at the time, learning to fly on the very same day that Videl had. He hadn't quite understood that his brother was falling in love with his training companion until much later.

"Try to relax every muscle in your body," said Goten, holding out his hands before him. "Focus on the energy in your center, and bring that energy out!"

A small glow began to form in the middle of Goten's hands as he demonstrated. Para smiled at his infinite patience and rudimentary explanation. He was such a good, sweet, loving boy. How could he ever be cruel? If only she could have read his mind sooner and understood the reasons why… but it was done. It was over. Once she had cared about his happiness, and she would have done anything to make him smile. Now all she had to hold onto was her little game. She didn't care whether either or both of them were miserable: she just cared about winning the game.

"Do you think you can bring your energy out like this, Medea?" he asked gently.

She couldn't help feeling like a professor in preschool. "I'll try my best, Goten."

She held out her hands in front of her, and tried her hardest NOT to release the ki which her body naturally begged for her to expend. She made sounds of straining, and twitched her fingers rapidly as though she were trying very hard.

"Oh! It's not working, I simply can't do it," she complained.

"I can feel your beautiful energy, Medea," he said, leaning closer and staring at her eyes and hands, "I know you can do this! I know you can. Just concentrate, let it flow through your body!"

"I can't!"

"Feel the energy! Feel it moving through your body!" Goten reached out and placed two fingers on her stomach, "It starts here, in your center."

He slowly moved his fingers around to her back, and caressed her spine, "The energy flows through your spinal cord, becoming stronger and stronger as your nervous system forces it into smaller more concentrated form…"

He dragged his fingertips over her shoulders and down her arms slowly, "Feel the energy moving through your arms, through the channels of your body. Feel the power and let it travel outside of your body through the palms of your hands!"

"I'm trying," she said through gritted teeth as she tried to control her energy from exploding exponentially inside her as his touch drove her body mad with desire.

"Just relax and let the warmth and power fill your insides," he said softly.

_How can I say no when you demand something like that, Goten? _She thought, and she tried to allow the tiniest ball of ki to form between her hands. It ended up being slightly larger than she intended, and Goten yelled in joy.

"YES! YOU DID IT!" shouted Goten, reaching forward to hug her in his excitement. "My brother's going to FLIP! I taught you SO much quicker than he taught Videl! You see, he's writing this book on ki techniques…"

Para laughed at Goten's excitement and hugged him back.

"Thanks for teaching me this, Goten. I'll practice on my own every chance I get. I really have to go now, but can we train again soon?"

"This isn't nearly enough training!" he complained. "You should spend at least an hour running, and then we should do some light sparring and more ki manipulation..."

"I wish I could," she said, "But I have a busy day ahead of me! I have to go to work. This is my before-work-workout, you know!"

"Alright," he said, "Well, I know you're busy and don't want to exhaust you. Same time next week?"

"That works for me. I can't wait! See you next week, Goten."

* * *

"_Her_?" said Bulma in a snobby tone, "You can't bring some hooker you met at the corner of Sleazy and Slutty to the CAPSULE CORP. BALL!"

"Mom! She's a doctor!" said Trunks angrily. "She's an educated girl, I thought you trusted me more than that."

"Trunks, I thought you understood after all these years how IMPORTANT this party is to us. We can't have some teenager in here doing something juvenile like pulling the fire alarm and chasing all our guests away!"

"Mother. It's not like dad has the best social graces. How many of your party guests have run away terrified because of him? Even if Medea were socially awkward, which she's not, she still wouldn't be as bad as your husband."

"Don't talk about your father like that!" snapped Bulma."That's different…"

"No. You told me I needed a date. I was content to go alone. But I agreed with you, and I chose Medea to be my date. She's a nice girl, a smart and polite girl from a good background. You'll like her!"

"Well, it's simple. I will have to meet her. You will introduce me to this Meadows girl before the Ball. We'll invite her to a family dinner."

"Is that really necessary, mother? I already told her I'd take her dress shopping tomorrow."

"Then take her shopping. But make the dinner date. I need to know that she won't embarrass us."

"I'm more concerned about dad embarrassing me in front of her!"

"Trunks. Will you invite her to dinner?"

"Yes, mom."

* * *

"Where are we headed next?" Trunks asked.

"Hm," said Para, gazing around the mall, "How about Viscaria's?"

"Sure, sounds good. My sister loves that shop."

"Oh, does she? A friend recommended the designer to me."

"I hope you actually like something there. We've been to five stores and you haven't even tried anything on. What exactly are you looking for?"

Part of Para had wanted to try on about a dozen dresses already at this point. Not because she was interested in any of them, but because she had wanted to model them, and to admire them on her body. Another part of her reasoned that she hardly had time to pick out one dress, and that she could only really try on a dress she loved and intended to buy and wear.

"It has to feel right. It has to be THE dress, Trunks. I'll know it when I see it."

"How can you see it if we're breezing from store to store at lightning speed?" he complained, "Maybe you should pause to browse the racks a little more carefully."

"The dress I wear won't be something you tuck away in a corner of a rack," said Para assuredly, "It will be a one of a kind masterpiece in display of the center of the… OH!"

She clutched Trunks' arm tightly when she laid eyes on it.

Displayed in the window of Viscaria's was one brilliant silvery gown on a mannequin. It had a small, shapely bodice and an extremely wide flared skirt. The color was challenging to describe as it was a blend of two different types of white. A snowy ivory and the palest magnolia. Embroidered Swarovski crystals cascaded down the wide skirt in small waterfalls.

"Oh, my goodness," Para breathed.

"Is that 'The Dress?'" Trunks asked. He was fairly confident in the answer from her reaction.

She could only nod breathlessly.

"Would you like to try it on?" he asked again.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, rushing into the store to greet her favourite designer.

The small woman who owned the shop was hunched over a circular table and sketching furiously. She didn't even bother to look up when she heard the door open.

"Good afternoon," said Para excitedly, "We're interested in the dress in the window…"

"You can't afford it."

"Excuse me?" Para responded in shock.

"You can't afford it. I made it for one of my faithful regular customers. Once she looks at it, and decides whether or not she likes it, then I'll consider selling it to the general public."

Trunks cleared his throat, stepping up behind Para and placing his hand on her waist protectively, "I can assure you, ma'am, that we can afford this dress. Name your price, and as long as it fits my girlfriend I will purchase it from you."

The woman continued to sketch on the table furiously, still not looking up at her customers, "Can't. Won't sell. Holding it for Miss Bra Briefs. Custom made to her measurements."

Para gasped, "For the Ball?"

"Heavens, no. Are you two shopping for the Ball?" The woman looked up from her sketch then, tugging her glasses down her nose a little to peer over the rims and assess the potential value of the customers. She stumbled back a little when she saw the President himself standing before her.

"Yes, we are shopping for the Ball," said Trunks briskly, "And I'd like to purchase that dress. What does my sister need a dress like that for? Even though she moved out years ago, half of my closet is STILL filled with her clothes. I guarantee Bra has everything she needs for every possible occasion."

"No, you don't understand, Mr. Briefs," said Mrs. Viscaria, shaking her head with a smile, "This is a special dress, for a very special occasion. I made it for your sister's wedding."

Para raised both of her hands to her cheeks, whispering, "Wedding?"

"Yes. The last time Miss Briefs was in here she mentioned that she was hoping to commission a wedding dress from me in the near future. We browsed a few wedding books whimsically, dreaming up the type of dress she'd like. In my free time I worked on that design to surprise her the next time she came by. I am sure she'll love it. She mentioned Cinderella so I thought… are you crying?"

"No," said Para, wiping tears away from her face hastily, "Certainly not. I'm just sniffling because I'm…allergic to… sequins."

Trunks had become lost in thought as he looked at the dress and he hadn't noticed Para suddenly becoming emotional. He was frowning. _Bra must have really wanted to marry Goten if she was already planning out her dress. She must have believed that Goten was intending to pop the question. Well, didn't we all hope so? Poor Bra-chan. I haven't really given much thought to the fact that she must have lost all of her hopes when Goten left her._

"My sister would have looked beautiful in this," Trunks said quietly. Para glanced at him, unable to keep from reading his mind as he thought of her.

_I wonder how Bra is doing lately? I've been so obsessed with my own issues… I haven't even really tried to see her or talk to her. She must have been so devastated after Goten broke her heart... Kami. If I'd been a better friend to Goten, could I have prevented this from happening? If I'd been a better example, more encouraging, more sensitive instead of taking my frustrations out on him…_

_It's partly my fault. I should have been a better brother too. I should have looked out for her. I should have tried harder to secure Bra's happiness, especially considering how much Goten looks up to me and the influence I have over him. Then maybe she'd be wearing this dress and smiling as she walked down the aisle… I'd be standing beside Goten as his best man, of course. And Pan would be her maid of honour. It would have been so perfect._

Para clutched her hands together close to her chest._You are the best brother a girl could have. It makes me so happy just to know that you care…_

_That's the main reason I haven't seen her… _Trunks continued thinking. _Pan's been staying with her. And I can't get near Pan without hellfire and explosions. I hope she's taking care of my little sister. I know she loves her as much as I do… I'm sure Bra is safe in your hands, Panny._

_Better_, thought Para, regaining a bit of her original smirk. _She's safe in my body. _A soft expression had transformed her features when she had been presented with the gown that was made for her wedding. The wedding that would never happen. The wedding that she had been a fool for ever imagining or dreaming of!

Nevertheless, the dress had been made for her. And she would have it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize that the dress already belonged to someone," she said, moving to leave the store. "Let's keep looking, Trunks…"

"No, Medea. It's the first thing that's caught your eye since we got to the mall… you should try it on."

"I don't think your sister would appreciate me trying on her _wedding dress_!"

"My sister… isn't getting married anytime soon," said Trunks slowly, turning to Mrs. Viscaria. "Bra and her boyfriend broke up. They won't be getting married."

"No!" gasped Mrs. Viscaria, placing her hand on her cheek, "That poor girl! I've never seen anyone so deeply in love."

"Yes, well. I don't think that seeing this dress or hearing about it would exactly put Bra in the best frame of mind," said Trunks. "You should probably just sell it to us."

The designer pushed her glasses back up her nose, "Fine. But it's going to cost you. I guess you'll want to try it on, Miss… sorry, I didn't get your name?"

Para looked at the designer and then back to Trunks, remembering that she hadn't yet told him her last name.

"Meadows. My name is Medea Meadows."

She saw Trunks give her a kind smile as he realized that she was 'trusting' him with her last name for the first time. She returned his smile warmly, sharing a private moment with him through their locked eyes.

"What a lovely name! Let me just get the dress off the mannequin and you may try it on."

"I don't need to try it on," said Para, "I can see that it will fit me."

"Miss Meadows… I don't mean to be rude, but this dress is covered in so many crystals that it costs more than certain automobiles. You want to make sure that it's a PERFECT fit before you purchase something like this."

"Yes, but it's also going to take me ten minutes to get into the dress, and ten minutes to get out of it. Both Mr. Briefs and I are very busy people, Mrs. Viscaria. Besides, I'd like to surprise him with the way I look in the dress." She sent Trunks another private smile.

"I guess your body type looks similar to that of Miss Briefs. More or less…" the designer shoved her glasses up her nose again and walked around Para slowly. She pulled a measuring tape from around her neck and began to measure, "Hmm. Smaller hips. Same waist."

"This won't do!" The woman poked Para in the boob and exclaimed, "Miss Briefs has larger breasts!"

"By what? A quarter of an inch?" muttered Para, brushing the woman's finger away. "Do you want to sell this dress to us or not, Mrs. Viscaria?"

The woman smiled, "Alright. If you're THAT set on it. It will make a lovely ball gown for you."

Mrs. Viscaria began to work on taking the dress off the mannequin, and Para sighed and leaned against Trunks' shoulder in exasperation.

"Part of me really hates shopping," she said to him.

"I can tell," he said, stroking her arm affectionately. He commented with amusement. "If you were my sister you would have tried on twenty ball gowns by now, and you would have bought three of them in case you changed your mind about what to wear before the event. Shopping takes a whole workday for her."

"It sounds like she takes it seriously. The backup-dress is a pretty wise idea," said Para with a smile.

"It was. Bra usually she ended up shoving Pan into one of her backup-dresses since Pan would rather eat dirty socks than enter a shopping mall," said Trunks with a chuckle.

"I don't blame her," said Para with a grin. "That's also very wise."

"But you're not like either of them, are you?" asked Trunks thoughtfully, "No. You're somewhere in between. Ha! You're like the perfect combination of the women in my life."

Para twitched at his phrasing and responded, "Well, you must have amazing women in your life."

"You're the most amazing yet," said Trunks with a wink.

_Oh, you charmer you, _thought Para, looking at him graciously from under her eyelashes. _How many women of yours have believed those honeyed lies?_

"The dress is all wrapped up," said Mrs. Viscaria a few minutes later, struggling as she held out a gigantic bag. "It's pretty heavy, so be careful with it. I'm assuming you don't carry fifty thousand dollars of cash on you, so will that be credit or debit?"

_Fifty thousand dollars! _Trunks exclaimed mentally as he took the bag, _Really, for a dress? I'm lucky that I'm rich or I wouldn't be able to afford women at all. I completely forgot what it was like to date. Pan was so low maintenance… a walk in a sweet smelling forest or a swim in a deep fresh lake and she was happy._

"Credit," he said calmly, fishing the card out of his pocket.

When they left the mall, with Para's arm linked through his, Trunks looked around for his limousine and frowned when it was not in sight.

"This is strange…" said Trunks looking around uneasily, "I just paged Phillipe to wait for us outside the mall."

Para noticed the tension in his face and the sharp rise in his ki and she looked at him questioningly, "Is something wrong, Trunks?"

"I'm not sure… I just think that there must be a reason for… oh, shit."

The last words were spoken when Trunks saw a small crowd of men and women swarming around them. Para gasped when she saw the menacing looks on their faces and the signs that they were holding. It seemed oddly familiar…

"YOU EVIL, CONNIVING, CHEAP SLUT!" screamed a shrill female voice from within the crowd.

"What did Miss Son ever do to you?" asked a raspy, angry male voice, "You should pay!"

"Let's get out of here, Medea," said Trunks, placing a hand gently on her back and guiding her away.

But Para was frozen. She remembered the crowd and their words from her dream.

Trunks tried to place his body between hers and the crowd which was closing in on them, but the people were approaching from all sides. They shouted angry phrases and some of them even threw objects at the couple.

"Stay close to me," said Trunks, trying to navigate through the mob.

Para stared at the faces with an uncanny feeling of déjà vu.

"Who are you people?" she asked shakily.

Several girls who wore orange bandannas chanted loudly together in response, "We're the Pan Fans!"

"The _what_?"

"And we're here to destroy YOU for stealing Pan's man!"

She didn't notice as one of the women raised a rifle to her shoulder. It was almost as though she were in a movie and couldn't control her own body, for she simply stared at the crowd in disbelief.

"Come on, Medea… we have to go," Trunks urged again gently, "These crowds can get a little…"

"DIE BITCH!"

_**BANG.**_

The noise snapped Para out of her daze and she commented, "Wow, they're rude."

The bullet had hit her and she hadn't noticed.

"DENDE! Medea, are you OK?"

"What? Why wouldn't I be..." Para suddenly noticed the smoking rifle pointed towards her. She looked down and saw the crumpled up bullet that had ripped through her dress and bounced off the side of her stomach.

_Great. I've been shot?_

She looked up at Trunks and saw him staring down at her stomach in horror.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Think fast, Para. This looks bad._

* * *

Hope you liked it.

Forgive how short these thanks are. I'm actually on a date right now (he's 14 years older than me) and there's delicious lobster waiting for me… so I have to hurry:

**seriously creeped out**: So I see that you're creeped out, but you were the first one to read and review that chapter immediately after I published it. So creeped out or not, you're hooked on my story. =) There's no getting around it. You can try to fight it, but I bet you'll still come back to read this chapter, won't you? Alas. I'm that good.

**Hanako:** Thank you! I am so glad you like the complexity of their romance. And thanks for your Facebook encouragements. =)

**Hot4DBZ:** Yay! Thanks for including your name, because the website messed up again. I am so so glad you enjoyed this chapter! Hahaha, thanks for your comment on Trunks' personality. =)

**mali86:** You're right. They are sad and desperate!

**Suzki**: I'm sorry that the lemon was too violent! I hope it wasn't too hard to read. =(

**DaBigWilliG**: I'm sorry your fight scene has been delayed again! You're right, Para could have been a lot meaner to Trunks, but I think she feels guilty about lying to him too.

**cherrytomatoproject**: Thank you for your review! I am glad it was a bit disturbing. =)

**Talk smith kid:** Hehe, I'm glad you thought Trunks' thoughts about Pan with another guy were realistic. Honestly, it's not just guys' minds that are like that… mine is too! Haha. And BY THE WAY… do you really not like girl on top? Girl on top is GREAT. And Anmylica agrees with me. I think Charlie does too.

**Supersaiyan2479:** Thanks for your advice on how to fix the type 2 errors! Always greatly appreciate your feedback!

**Anmylica:** Thanks for your review and your message! Your messages always light a fire under me to make me work. I will send you a longer message tonight when I get home from my date, or chat with you on AIM if you're about. =) Did you get a chance to colour that drawing of Para? I might attempt to sketch her too!

**famoso:** You're so adorable. You're right, Trunks should have to pay to fix what he destroyed and I'll see if I can fit that in somewhere.

**Iamnotanobsessedfangirl:** That's actually a good idea. But I kind of feel like it would be cheating. I think you'll like something that comes up in the next few chapters.

**18katrina:** Your review took my breath away. I literally read it while holding my breath. Then I exhaled and held my breath as I read it again. Then I got in my car and started singing really loudly while driving nowhere in particular because I was so happy. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your beautiful words! They mean the world to me, they really do.

**Leecassi:** You are so sweet! You're right, these girls really are the best of friends. I really enjoy writing it for that reason. =) It makes me feel like I'm experiencing this awesome friendship! Lol.

**jazzyfizzler:** Your review made me feel so amazing and satisfied with the chapter… I am so glad you saw beauty in the obsessive passionate darkness that is their love for each other. So delighted you liked that chapter. It was really tough to make it special beyond the fact that it was Para/Trunks… I figure there's no point in writing it unless I really try to make it different than the thousands of other T/P fanfics out there. Otherwise, why would anyone read and enjoy it? Thanks for laughing at my stupid jokes like the "on top" thingy. I hope your prom was great! Better than the T/P prom scene by a million times, I hope! ;)

**Arian:** As you already know, your review made me cry. I even read it to my mom and told her "See, mom? I'm not a total failure." Lol.

**gina31486:** Thank you for your sweet review! I hope you did great on your exams. I love how passionately angry you were at the guys in your review!

**bayden hill:** Thank you for your kind words!

**Phantasom:** I can mail you the story when you go to boot camp, if you'd like that? You will probably be too tired to read, though! If you send me the address of your boot camp in a private message I will print and mail the chapters as I publish them.

**celestialpolaris **: I love the new name! I got your review just in time before publishing this chapter. You're the only one who noticed the "variety of flower" phrase! A TRUE hardcore DBZ fan, lol. Yeah! It totally snowed yesterday, the weather here in Toronto is NUTS! Luckily I was indoors writing the whole time.

* * *

I'm not sure if I'm more excited about the lobster I'm about to eat or hearing what you think about this chapter!


	15. My Favorite Snowball

_Chapter Fifteen: My Favorite Snowball_

Reviews are so much better than lobster. But that particular lobster wasn't that great, anyway. The old guy I was dating overcooked it and it was a bit rubbery. =( The steak was pretty awesome though.

Thanks to **Anmylica** for drawing Bra's wedding dress! Go to this webby to see it: Anmylica DOT Deviantart DOT com

Dear readers, please forgive me for calling the "rejuvenation tank" a "regeneration tank"… I'll try to correct it henceforth. Also… please forgive me for flipping back and forth between Canadian and American spellings of words like "favourite/favorite" and "colour/color"—sometimes my Microsoft Word automatically corrects to the Canadian way, although I do try to write it the American way since most of my readers are American.

I had seriously better decide and become consistent before I become a real novelist. -.- Editors and publishers will want to hang me up and torture me.

Dear **review**, why are you even here? Yes, I can spell Marron correctly, in addition to just about everything else. (In case you haven't noticed.) Please, don't bother reading the story if you're not going to actually read the story.

I made a joke in the last chapter more hardcore. So if you go back and check out the part where Bra says "We're heroes!" It has become more explicit. I had that joke in my mind, but I didn't publish it with the chapter to begin with, because I thought it was lame and I am not big on profanity BUT Anmylica convinced me it was good, so I re-added it.

~PanHopeNvs (Nadia Scrieva – add me on Facebook!)

* * *

Trunks saw the pieces of fabric ripped open at Para's stomach and a surge of fear rippled through his own gut. She wasn't Pan. She wasn't saiyan. She could die. Actually die. It took him a second to process the gravity of the situation. A second was too long. If he had remembered a fraction of a second sooner that bullets were actually dangerous he could have moved to stop the impact. He could have stopped it. He should have.

He looked up at Para's face and saw the pure terror that was painted across her soft feminine features. He realized that he couldn't bear to lose her.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Think fast, Para. This looks bad._

"Oh!" She gasped and grabbed her stomach, doubling over and discreetly placing one hand on the floor to collect the bullet and grind it into dust between her fingers. She grimaced as she simultaneously shoved the index finger of her other hand deftly and firmly into the flesh at her side to puncture her body and draw blood.

_**BANG. BANG.**_

Trunks had begun moving to catch her as she fell, but the instant the sound of more gunshots reached his ears his fear for her safety turned to anger. His head snapped to the left and seeing the bullets headed towards the already injured girl, he narrowed his eyes and flew directly toward the bullets.

Trunks reached out and grasped the small metal pellets angrily in his fist which he then shoved into the face of the person holding the rifle. He quickly grasped all the guns in the crowd and bent their nozzles, rendering them useless. For good measure, and out of pure rage, he quickly knocked a few of the more fanatical looking members of the crowd unconscious.

Para glanced up from her hunched over position as he did this, using the opportunity to dig her finger deeper into her stomach while gritting her teeth. She had been wearing a pale lilac coloured dress, and when she pulled her finger out, enough blood began flowing forth from her abdomen to start to soak most of the midsection of the dress. As Trunks used his bare hands to destroy the guns, Para lay down on the concrete ground, and rubbed all of the fingers on her right hand into the blood that was pooling there. It would be obvious if only her index finger was coated.

In the few short seconds that it had taken Trunks to subdue and punish her offenders and disarm their weapons, Para had managed to create a wound and put herself in a convincingly victimized position.

The bullet had been a joke, not even bruising her skin, but sticking her finger in an inch above her liver had been excruciating. She was in actual pain and she groaned softly and closed her eyes tightly as she curled up on the cold concrete.

Trunks quickly returned to her side and saw her hand and dress covered in blood and he panicked, "Medea!"

He immediately cradled her body against his and spoke in a broken voice, kissing her closed eyes, "Please be OK. Please tell me you're OK. You can't be…"

"I'm fine," she croaked. Para breathed deeply and spoke in a small voice, "Trunks, thanks for saving me…"

"Thank Dende!" he whispered. "I thought I'd lost you."

She heard the genuine concern in his voice, and looked up at him. She almost felt surprised to see how much he cared for this girl that she'd fabricated out of thin air. She was an illusion, she was a lie… but he seemed to believe in her wholeheartedly. Could he really be falling in love with a woman who didn't even exist? She realized that through the pain she had clutched his arm tightly, and she forced herself to loosen her grip. She couldn't have him noticing her strength because of a moment's indiscretion.

Some yells and curses startled her out of the moment of staring into his eyes, and she looked back to the group of people who had shot her, not quite understanding. Most of the crowd had begun to disperse after the shots were fired, and most of those who had remained had dispersed after Trunks had knocked several of them unconscious. Yet a few still remained, and they were holding signs with Pan's face on them, and with words like "AVENGE PAN SON" written on cardboard.

_I have… a fanclub? _wondered Para, _And... they tried to kill Trunks' new girlfriend for me? Awww. How sweet! But how ironic that they shot the girl they were trying to defend! _She couldn't resist a small laugh at the situation. But the laugh pained her incredibly and she immediately moaned.

"Let me see the wound," Trunks said, moving her bloody fingers away from her stomach. It looked a lot worse than it was, and he cursed, "Damn. Damn! I have to get you to the hospital."

_Great. This is going to be troublesome, how do I escape from the hospital in time to un-fuse? Grr. I don't have much time remaining. _At this point, the media had arrived on the scene and were excitedly snapping photos of the CEO and the injured girl. The sirens of law enforcement and paramedics could be heard somewhere nearby, but their arrival had not preceded that of the media.

"Medea, hold on, OK?" said Trunks, lifting her gently against him and standing up.

"WAIT! The dress! Don't forget the dress!" she exclaimed, noticing the fallen bag which Trunks had cast aside once the first bullet had been fired.

"Is the dress damaged?" she asked frantically.

"The… dress?" Trunks looked at her in surprise, but he bent his knees so he could pick up the bag while she was still in his arms. "You've been shot and you're worried about a dress?"

"Oh," she groaned, grabbing her stomach. She looked down at the wound, as though assessing it.

"The bullet didn't hit any vital organs," she assured him with a grimace. "It's painful as hell, but I'll be fine."

"Dende. You're too calm. You must be in shock. Let's get to the hospital," said Trunks, flying up into the air.

"No, don't," she protested, "I work at a hospital and they're all politics, trust me. Stitching up a wound like this is child's play and it would be embarrassing to my co-workers if I showed up asking for them to look after me. I can take care of this better on my own, at home. Just let me get some bed-rest and I'll be fine."

"You were shot! They have to get the bullet out and stop the bleeding…"

"Trunks. It's such an easy procedure that a six-year-old could do it."

"I think you need to take this more seriously," said Trunks, flying faster. "You could die!"

"Stop overreacting… oh," said Para, suddenly remembering to be surprised about his flying, "Are we flying? You can fly?"

"Yes," said Trunks, "It's... a martial arts thing. You see, my family, we're special..."

"Trunks, I just want to go home. Please. Please just take me home."

"Let me take you to my home then. We have an infirmary and these nifty rejuvenation tanks..."

"Trunks, please. I'm a doctor and I know my own body. I just want to go home and get some rest. Physically, I will be fine. But emotionally? I've been shot by people holding up signs with the face of your ex-girlfriend. I didn't realize that dating you would make me number one on the hit-list of crazies. And now you're flying. While I appreciate your help... I just want to go home and rest to get rid of this massive headache before I have to go to work again. Will you leave me alone for a while?"

"Medea, I'm so sorry that this happened... it's all my fault..."

"No, it's the fault of the person who shot the bullet_." It's their fault I had to use my finger to create a fake bullet hole in my side. Ouch! And it's Pan's fault too for being so awesome that she has a fan club! Weeee!_

Trunks buried his face into Para's hair as he changed his course of flight slightly and headed for her little house, "Kami. It seems all I do, every time I see you, is cause you pain! This is the second time since I've been your boyfriend, in the matter of a few days, that I've made you bleed. The second time that I've exposed you to life threatening injuries…"

"You silly goose," said Para, laughing. She repeated her words from a few days ago teasingly, "Haven't you ever seen a bit of blood before?"

She reached up and grasped him behind the neck, bringing his lips down to meet hers in a kiss. Trunks kissed back tenderly, releasing some of the tension from the situation as he lost himself against her soft lips.

She mumbled something into his mouth, but he didn't understand her through the dizzy sensations in his mind.

"What?" he asked.

"Skyscraper," she repeated.

Trunks realized he was flying directly toward a high-rise office building and he diverted his path around it.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, with a laugh, "Your kisses are distracting."

"And yours completely take away the pain of having been shot," she said, smiling up at him. For once, she wasn't lying. His kisses did take away the pain from having been shot (with her own finger).

Trunks descended to her house and hovered outside her bedroom window so that she could unlatch it.

"I have to be honest with you," said Trunks, "I didn't think human girls could hold up under so much pressure. You could have been killed!"

Para smiled, "What species have you been dating? Human girls have a lot of great qualities. We're much better than household pets."

Trunks gave her a small amused look at her joke as he put the bag with the dress in it on the floor and gently deposited her on her (new—the old one had been broken beyond repair) bed. He sat down beside her and took her hand into his.

"Can I help you to clean and dress the wound? Maybe if I bring you the instruments that you need?"

"No, Trunks," she said softly. She glanced at her watch and saw that she had scarcely 5 minutes remaining. "Thanks for taking me home, but I need to be alone now. I need to process a few things. Can you understand that? Can you give me some space?"

_Space! Space! She wants space? She needs medical attention and someone to be with her, to take care of her! Kami, I will never understand women. But then... it is my fault she's in this situation... and she probably associates me with being injured at this point. And she did just see me fly for the first time. Wow, I'm really smooth aren't I?_

"I don't think I should leave you alone right now... but if you really want me to, I will. I think you might have some questions. I want to explain. Before I go, there are some very strange things I think I should tell you about my family and heritage," he began.

"No," she said firmly, "I would love to hear it all… but I am so exhausted right now. I'm going to clean up this wound and rest for a little, if you don't mind. Please? Would you go and let me be by myself?"

"I don't know if I can leave you in this condition," said Trunks with a frown, "No gentleman would."

"Please," she begged, "Please, Trunks. I need to be alone right now. I will be fine. Text me anytime if you're worried about me, but just… let me rest. Let me be alone."

"OK," he said kissing her gently, "As you wish. I won't interfere."

"Thank you."

When he left, she stood up and grabbed the dress bag, running down to the basement before closing the door behind her. Her ki would not be traceable there. She immediately went to the sink to wash off the wound. It was just a puncture and not at all serious.

Once it was clean she lay on the couch in the basement, putting a hand over her wound. The bleeding had already stopped thanks to her saiyan anatomy and amazing healing metabolism.

After lying there for a minute, Para felt a familiar tingling in her cells as each one underwent an instantaneous division. Bra felt herself tumbling to the ground off the couch, and Pan ended up lying lopsidedly on the arm of the chair.

"Ow," mumbled Pan, then she immediately brightened. "Hey! Did you see? I have fanatic fans, too! They're just as crazy and obsessive as Trunks' fans, maybe as crazy as yours!"

"Your fans just try to kill for you. They don't try to worship you and sacrifice farm animals for you and… oh, Dende. The dress."

Bra rushed to the dress and pulled it out of the bag and began to caress the crystal-encrusted bodice.

"It's just what I wanted, Panny. Oh, Dende, it's just what I always imagined." Bra's eyes instantly watered as she clutched the dress against her. "Dende. Why did it have to be so perfect?"

Pan stared at her friend, torn between the urge to go to her and console her, and to give her a private moment. Her eyes settled on the glistening crystals of the gown which Bra stroked lovingly, and she found herself crossing her arms over her chest and frowning. _Uncle Goten, you're a dick. Kami only knows why you do the idiotic things you do. You made her so happy, and YOU were so happy…_

"Stop thinking, Pan. I can hear your goddamned thoughts!" shouted Bra through her sobs. She released the dress in a panic when she realized that she might ruin it with her tears or stray droplets of blood from her bullet wound. "Let's talk about something else. Like for instance, about how your DREAM CAME TRUE."

"Yes, that was weird wasn't it? They said the exact same thing that they said in my dream… and the bullets… it wasn't perfectly the same situation, but it was pretty similar."

"Maybe you have a mental power too!" suggested Bra, reaching out again to touch the silvery fabric and sniffling, "Maybe you can tell the future."

"As if. That was probably some crazy coincidence."

"You'll have to go to sleep and dream again to find out! My bet is that it happens again."

"I doubt it," said Pan.

"You have to tell me everything you dream from now on," Bra demanded.

"No way. It could be a dirty sex fantasy..."

"Oh, come on. Remember, we've had sex together! I mean… not together, but I was in your body… EW! We had sex with the same person, at the same time... in the same body... Dende! I can't make this sound normal, can I? We had sex as ONE PERSON, so I deserve to know even about those dreams! They might come true and involve me."

"I don't know, Bra…"

"If you don't tell me, I'll just invade your head whenever you might be sleeping. Would you prefer that?"

"Fine, fine. I'll tell you."

* * *

Two fingers descended from her forehead to smooth out the folds of a newspaper. There was a picture of Trunks standing on the cover, his legs spread wide apart and an angry look on his face as he held an injured girl with long indigo hair in his arms. She sighed as she read:

_**NEW GIRLFRIEND OF TRUNKS BRIEFS HAS BEEN SHOT**_

_Last night shots rang out near Dragondale Heights Mall as the gorgeous new girlfriend of Trunks Briefs was surrounded by an angry mob out for blood._

_The individuals responsible for this belong to a small but loyal following of fans who revere Mr. Satan's granddaughter Pan Son. Mr. Satan is the most loved man on the planet, and since his granddaughter's fiery appearance at the World's Martial Arts tournament as a four-year old toddler with the ability to defeat gargantuan adult males with ease, many of Mr. Satan's fans have become "Pan-enthusiasts" hailing the young girl as the next hero of the Earth! You might consider the "Pan Fans" an extremist sect of Mr. Satan's religious following, similar to the fans of his daughter Videl Satan so many years ago before she married and removed herself from the spotlight._

_Fans of Miss Son became enraged at the headlines that Trunks was caught cheating on the young martial artist and doctor, and united to seek revenge on his new love interest. Reports indicate that shots were fired from a .50 calibre rifle and at least one bullet hit its target. The injured young girl is identified as Medea Meadows, but little is known of her background. We are unaware of her condition, as the CEO Trunks Briefs disappeared with the girl shortly before paramedics arrived on the scene. We can only hope that her vitals are stable and that she will survive this tragic incident._

Using Instant Transmission to return to a sleeping Bra in the basement, Pan tossed the newspaper along with several bags containing their breakfast at her friend.

As the smell of food hit her nostrils along with the impact of the bags of food, Bra sat up and rubbed her eyes. She noticed the picture on the newspaper and picked it up quickly.

The blue-haired girl skimmed the article and smirked. "We sure stepped into it this time."

"There's a silver lining."

"And what might that be?"

"Your brother bought your dress, and I learned that I have fans!" said Pan cheerfully.

"You're still excited about that? You'll quickly learn that having fans isn't a good thing. What did you dream last night?"

"Something stupid," said Pan, grabbing a bag and helping herself to several bacon and egg sandwiches.

"Tell me!" Bra declared, before sinking her teeth into the sausage and egg.

"Mhmpff," said Pan with her mouth full, before she resorted to telepathy. _I don't really remember, but it was stupid, that's for sure. Your dad was there… I think he called me ugly or something, so he and I were having this all-out battle on some random planet because of it._

_Aw, Pan! That would never happen. My dad calls everyone ugly, and a lot worse, but you never seemed to care about that before._

_I know, right? Crazy. And it was a desert planet, with like… 5 moons or something. I love bacon!_

_What's so great about bacon? Sausage is so much better._

_Sausage is so bland, while bacon is so juicy and flavourful._

_It depends on the sausage. Here, try this one, it really tastes like… SHIT!_

"What?" asked Pan, gulping down the bit she'd been chewing on, "Why would you want me to try your sausage if it tastes like…"

"He's coming to check on us. Get ready to fuse."

* * *

Trunks didn't bother knocking on the door, because as he approached the house he could feel her very small ki up in her room. He didn't want to make her walk to the door in her condition. He flew to Para's bedroom window, and after peering in to see that she was resting in bed, he unlatched the window and let himself in.

The morning light streamed into her room, illuminating her pink silk nightgown as she shifted her position slightly. Her eyes fluttered open and she beheld Trunk standing over her with a concerned look on his face.

"Hi," she murmured softly, smiling at him.

"Good morning, beautiful. How's your wound?"

"It's fine. I got the bullet out," she said, before extending her arm to him. "Come here."

Trunks understood the motion and slipped off his shoes before climbing into bed with her. Para snuggled against his chest and closed her eyes again.

"How did you sleep?" Trunks asked as he caressed her back.

"Like a baby," she answered. "But I'm still so tired."

"Your body must be craving sleep so it can heal. Do you mind if I take a look at the wound?" Trunks asked.

"I bandaged it up," she mumbled. "And I'm not wearing any pants."

"Nothing I haven't seen before, dear," he said as he reached down and slid her nightgown up over her thighs. His fingers brushed over her pale pink panties as he sought to expose her stomach, and he felt his breath catch in his throat at how perfect the contours of her body were.

When he lifted the silk over the wound, he saw that she had attached a clean white square of bandage to her body with medical tape.

"Dende," Trunks muttered, running his fingers over some exposed skin near the wound. "I shouldn't have let this happen."

"It will heal," she told him again. "A few weeks and I'll be fine."

"No. It will heal immediately," Trunks contradicted firmly. "I brought you another Senzu bean."

Para opened her eyes then and leaned away from him slightly so that she could read his face. _Wow, why is my dad giving him so many beans? He must have asked Goten to steal them for him._

"Trunks, if those beans have such magical healing properties, why are you wasting them on such small injuries? There are so many thousands of people dying right now whose lives could be saved with this bean, and instead you waste it on me when I'm not even mortally or seriously injured?"

She tugged her nightgown down back over her hips as she looked at him angrily.

Trunks sighed and reached out to hold her gently, careful to avoid putting any pressure on her wound. "I just don't want you to feel any pain or discomfort. Especially not when it's my fault you're in this predicament to begin with. Please, take the senzu."

He had reached down into his pocket and pulled out the bean, and placed it into her hand. She closed her fingers around it carefully.

"How about this, Trunks," she said, rolling the small bean against her palm. "If my wound gets worse, or gets infected, then I will take the bean. If not, I'll just let it heal naturally. And until I know whether or not I need it, maybe I could study this bean in the lab and see if I can learn its properties to make some sort of medicine."

"Sure…" said Trunks in surprise. "That's a good idea. I don't think anyone has thought to study the senzu bean before."

"If I manage to make some awesome invention with it, like the cure for cancer or something of the sort," she said with a small chuckle as she stretched to place the bean on her nightstand, "I'll bring it to Capsule Corp so you can make billions off of it."

"We've made billions off of less," said Trunks with a smile as he brushed her hair away from her face. "You're so young and optimistic, Medea. I can't believe how well you're taking all this. It's uplifting to be around you…"

She smiled as she snuggled closer into his warmth. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the perfect early morning feeling. It was ridiculously perfect. Birds were singing outside, and the subtle light was grey, not yet bright enough to be annoying and demanding. And she was in the arms of the man she loved.

She realized then that it had been over a year since she'd woken up beside Trunks. Over a year since she'd lain with him in the morning light like this. The thought of how much she had missed him made her slightly tighten her grip on his body, almost as though afraid of losing him. She didn't want the moment to be over. She wanted to lie in bed with him for hours, or all day if possible… but she didn't have that much time.

"Medea," said Trunks softly. "I want you to know about my family's heritage."

She nodded against his chest.

"My father is from another planet. I'm not completely human."

There was a silence then. An early morning silence as Trunks waited nervously for her response. He listened to her breathing for signs of how she felt, and was surprised to see that she was holding her breath for several seconds.

"It's the reason that I'm much stronger than the average person and the reason I accidentally hurt you the other day. It's also the reason that I look younger than I am, and my hair can become golden."

_I can't believe he's so honest with me. I have done nothing but lie and lie and lie and he is sharing the deepest darkest family secrets? He must really trust this girl he calls Medea. Now how do I comment on this in a sufficiently surprised yet understanding manner…_

Para released her held breath and asked, "Does Goten know?"

A chuckle rose from deep inside his throat, "Yes, Goten knows. His father is… was from the same planet as my father."

"Oh," she responded, hoping to appear thoughtful. "Goten mentioned his father to me on our first date. He said… that he was some sort of war hero."

"The greatest hero," said Trunks seriously. "Goku was the greatest man I've ever known. I miss him every single day."

"Tell me about him," said Para softly.

Trunks found himself smiling in memory, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Who could imagine that the strongest man in the universe would have all the innocence and naiveté of a small child? He never was angry with me once, and believe me, I made plenty of mistakes which would have made anyone else upset. Well… I'm not being completely honest. There was one time he got angry…"

"_No, I do NOT want to talk about it!" Pan shouted. "You guys just don't understand! You think it's funny that I was turned into a doll? Well, it simply wasn't funny AT ALL."_

"_It was a little bit funny," said Trunks with a laugh, "You have to admit. Consider it payback for making me dress up as a woman on Gelbo."_

"_You are SICK if you think it was funny!" she yelled at him._

"_Come on, Panny. You were about this big," said Trunks holding his thumb and forefinger apart to indicate about five inches._

"_You JERK!" she screamed, throwing the nearest object at him. It happened to be a salt shaker, and he caught it in his hand to stop it from damaging the ship._

"_Tsk, tsk. Temper, Panny! I'm beginning to think that it was an improvement when you were made into a doll."_

"_HOW DARE Y…"_

"_Trunks," interrupted Goku, stepping between the two before things could heat up. "Can I speak to you in private?"_

"_Sure, Goku," said Trunks, moving into the next room with the child-sized warrior after sending Pan a teasing glance. Pan crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him as he exited the room._

_Goku shut the door between the two rooms a bit forcefully. "Listen, Trunks. Dangerous and unexpected things are happening every instant. I can't watch her all the time! I'm trying my best but I can't do it alone. We shouldn't have let that spaceship take her away like that. One of us should have been with her."_

"_Giru was with her…"_

"_TRUNKS, I'M SERIOUS!" Goku shouted, earning a surprised glance from the younger man. It was one of the few moments that Trunks remembered that he wasn't the only adult on the voyage, despite being the only adult-sized person._

"_Goku…" he began, remorsefully._

_The carefree smile returned to the young boy's face almost as quickly as it had vanished, "I'm trying my best, but I need you to help take care of her, Trunks. One of us should be with her at all times."_

_Trunks nodded, "Right, Goku."_

"_Pan has a tendency to run off and get herself into trouble. How many times already have we nearly lost her? Listen to me, Trunks. She shouldn't be out here in space with us. But since she is, we have to look out for her more. Gohan will kill us both if anything happens to her, you know!"_

_Goku laughed and exited the room, heading for the kitchen. Trunks stared after him, still surprised and slightly shamed by his outburst. Pan was still standing in the same spot, with her arms crossed angrily._

"_What was that all about?" she asked him._

"_You got me in trouble. Goku told me to be nicer to you."_

_Pan grinned, "He's right! You should be nicer. I'm going to cook him something special for sticking up for me!"_

_Trunks smiled at her retreating form. He had always been impressed with how close Pan and Goku were._

"He was an amazing father, grandfather, and friend."

"I wish I could have known him," said Para gently, as she traced small circles with her fingertips on Trunks' back.

"So, it doesn't make you uncomfortable that I'm not completely human?"

"On the contrary. It makes you much more interesting!"

He smiled in relief and hugged her, accidentally touching the skin at her side which was close to her bullet wound, and she winced in pain.

"Ow," she said, cringing.

"Sorry, I forgot," he said apologetically, kissing her forehead and repositioning his hand away from her wound.

"No harm done," she responded.

_She's tough._ Trunks thought with sudden admiration. _She's very tough. Not physically, not in the way I'm used to... not like Pan. No, she has formidable mental fortitude instead. Not that Pan wasn't intelligent and confident... but this woman! She is so deadly calm about everything, even little things Pan would have gotten far too excited about. Medea's got it together, and she can take anything that comes her way._

_I feel stronger from just being close to her. I suddenly understand... I understand what Videl meant. That Pan would find a nice human boy with qualities like this... someone who could make her feel whole when her heart was breaking. Someone good, someone trustworthy like her father. Not like me._

_Whoever he is... I shouldn't be angry. I should thank him for taking care of her. For doing what Goku asked me to do, what I failed to do. But I love Pan so much… that means something, doesn't it? Yes. If I really love her, then I should be able to let her go, and to let her be happy. Maybe I can try to be genuinely happy too, instead of using Medea. She deserves my honest affections, not to be manipulated in some sort of game._

_What am I doing? First I hurt Pan… and then I immediately go after another great girl and basically intend to do the same thing to her. _Trunks exhaled slowly. When he inhaled, his nose was so close to her hair that the scent gave him a feeling of déjà vu. He felt the uncanny sensation of having been in that moment before. Again, he imagined he was holding Pan instead.

"Penny for your thoughts," she asked, trying to distract him. No one ever revealed what they were really thinking when they were called on it. They immediately tried to think of a more appropriate thought to reveal.

"I'm glad you got shot!" he said suddenly, his shoulders moving as he chuckled.

"What?" she asked in surprise, stiffening a bit.

"If you hadn't taken that bullet," he said, gently massaging the back of her neck with his fingers. "Maybe I never would have realized how wonderful and special you truly are. How strong you are."

"Strong," she said with a laugh. "Sure. I'm about as strong as a marshmallow in comparison to you."

_A Super Saiyan 3 marshmallow, that is._

"You are incredibly strong. You have such spirit that I feel like a better person just being close to you," he took both of her hands into his. "You did it all the hard way. We all had it handed to us, the strength, the money, the love. But you... you had to achieve it all on your own. From scratch. A little bit like my mother. A human woman with no extraordinary strength, yet she could move mountains. She could do anything, even save the world."

She didn't know how to respond to these compliments which she didn't feel she deserved. She just moved to brush her lips against his in a gentle kiss. He responded, and they kissed until all thoughts slipped away from both of their minds. She forgot all of her guilt in the taste of him. Trunks found himself grasping her thigh and pushing his body against hers, eliciting a small moan from her throat.

He caught himself, then and abruptly stopped kissing her and released her thigh. "We can't. Not until you're healed."

She nodded, almost in disappointment, but sighed in contentment as his touches changed from sexual to nurturing. She felt him pull the blanket around her shoulders as she drifted off to sleep in his arms.

Sleep.

After an undefined amount of time, a rustling movement stirred her from her slumber. _Shit!_ She awoke with a start, and gasped, feeling her body frantically to make sure that there was still one of her. But which one was she? She couldn't tell from just the feeling of her consciousness whether she was Bra, or Pan, or Para. She looked around to see if she had split into two parts, but there was only Trunks in the room other than her. He was sitting on the edge of the bed and putting his shoes on.

_How much time do I have? _She thought, looking down at her watch. She was shocked to see that it wasn't on her wrist.

"My watch!" she shrieked.

"It started vibrating and I removed it," he said, "I didn't want it to wake you up…"

She scrambled for her watch and saw that 28 minutes of her fusion had passed. Her heart skipped a beat. She had nearly slept through her fusion break. That wouldn't have been pretty.

"I have to go to work to teach sword training with Goten. We're both actually enjoying it a lot more than we imagined."

Trunks rambled on and on about the sword training as she stared at her watch in terror. He had to leave. Now.

"I'm so glad you like your new job. Well, you can't be late! Have a wonderful day at work, Trunks!" she said. She moved to give him a kiss on the lips as she ushered him to the window, "Give it 110%! Actually, that might hurt someone. Give it less than 10%!"

"Bye, Medea," he said, waving as he exited the window. "I hope you feel better!"

"I already do," she said sweetly, before closing the window. Then she promptly ran down to the basement to allow herself to un-fuse.

"Really, Para?" she asked herself angrily as she lightly banged her forehead against the basement door. "You fell ASLEEP with him?"

She used the last few seconds of her fusion to insult herself, "So smart, Para. So smart. What if the fusion wore off? I'd be in bed with my brother! I'd better not slip up like this again."

She hit her forehead against the basement door again before dividing, "He can _never_ find out."

* * *

"Rather impressive. But you'll never guess my next move," said Vegeta, leering as he advanced on Pan in the open field.

_He's going to try to trick you into thinking he's going to attack from behind, but expect a Big Bang to the face._

_Thanks Bra!_

Pan prepared herself to counter the attack, "Kaaa… Meeee… Haaaa…"

_Wait, he sees that you're ready and he's changing his strategy. Left, left!_

She turned abruptly to the left, "MEEE… HAAAA!"

The two attacks collided and exploded, throwing both Pan and Vegeta back a few steps.

"How in the hell did you guess where I was going to be?" growled Vegeta.

"Let's call it woman's intuition," Pan said. Bra giggled.

Vegeta looked sharply to Bra and then back to his opponent, "I see. Are you ready for this?"

_He's going to…_

Pan smelled the heat—rather, she smelled the hairs inside her nostrils being singed before a second Big Bang attack collided with her face and exploded, landing her on her bottom with a thud.

"Ugh," she said, touching her cheeks gently. "Vegeta! I told you to stop aiming for my face. I must have lost most of my eyelashes. I hate wearing makeup, but now I'm going to need mascara! Desperately."

"Forget mascara, Panny," said Bra sympathetically. "You're going to have to wear fake eyelashes for a while. Look on the bright side. At least you don't have to get them custom made in blue!"

Pan glared at her friend. Bra shrugged and sent her a telepathic message: S_orry I couldn't warn you, he really does move faster than he thinks sometimes._

_I didn't require a warning, I knew that was coming. I'm just glaring because there's no way I'm wearing fake eyelashes!_

Vegeta watched the silent interaction of the girls curiously before interjecting.

"I'm done with you, Pan. Leave so I can train my daughter."

Pan raised her singed eyebrows in surprise and then shrugged and raised herself from the ground to fly back to Capsule Corp. Vegeta wasn't really being rude, he was just like that. She knew he was being especially affectionate during the times he called her "Pan" instead of "Girl."

Entering the East Wing, Pan headed directly for the private area of the infirmary. She removed her clothing down to her underwear and stepped into the rejuvenation tank, closing the door behind her. She placed the oxygen mask over her face and crossed her arms over her chest as the sticky, viscose green liquid travelled up her legs. She hated the feeling of the green liquid against her skin, but she always felt stronger after leaving the tank.

She wasn't very injured, so the healing process wouldn't take very long. It crossed her mind that her self-made bullet hole would disappear, but Bra would still have hers, so Para would still have a small wound there if anyone ever thought to look. Sighing as she stared at the floating bubbles, she thought that she rather missed the modified rejuvenation tank which Bra had tweaked so that she could listen to audio books while she healed. Without it, the process was so boring…

Pan hadn't realized that her eyes had closed and that she had drifted off to sleep for a few minutes. She heard a beeping sound to indicate her time was up, and she felt the liquid draining around her. She quickly ripped the breathing apparatus away from her face and began to squeeze the sticky green liquid out of her hair. It was disgusting!

She certainly did nod off to sleep a little more frequently than before. It was probably a side effect of Para's constant heavy sedation. When all the liquid had drained out of the chamber she opened the tank and stepped out, placing her bare feet on the cool tiles. She sensed that Trunks' ki was in the building, and decided to leave quickly to avoid an awkward confrontation. She raised her ki to burn the remaining green droplets off her skin. A powdery residue still remained, and she raised her ki even higher to burn the residue off her skin.

"Wow, Pan," came a familiar voice, causing her to freeze. "You really let Vegeta beat you up, huh?"

She'd heard the voice a million times before. She'd dreamed of that voice, she'd daydreamed of it, and she'd prayed for it. It was the one voice which had the power to reduce her to tears faster than Bra became teary-eyed when looking at her would-be wedding dress.

Pan turned to the source of the words, although the tears were already streaming down her face. She saw him, standing there, smiling at her. She sobbed and ran into his arms.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" she cried into his chest and hugged him tightly for several moments, unable to let go. Was he really back to stay? She wanted him to say the words more than anything. _Please let him say he is back to stay!_

"Grandpa Goku! Are you…"

"Panny," he grasped her shoulders firmly and held her at an arm's length.

"Does grandma know you're back?" Pan asked hysterically.

Goku smiled, looking at her with loving eyes.

"Oh, Dende! Papa and Goten will be so happy. Vegeta will freak out! I sensed Trunks somewhere in C.C. earlier! Let's go and tell him you're back!"

"Panny," repeated Goku again, his face becoming serious. "I want you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. In a few minutes you're going to wake up."

"I'm… dreaming," she said slowly, partly in denial, but at the same time knowing it was true.

"Yes. It was the only way I could reach any of you. Listen to me. You and Vegeta have both sensed this new power in the furthest reaches of the Universe. That power is growing. There may come a time in the next few years when it becomes a threat to Earth. I want you to make sure everyone is prepared for battle, Panny."

"Grandpa, I've been training so hard…"

"No, you haven't. You've been knowingly withholding your power from Vegeta. You've been tricking him into thinking that you're weaker than you really are. You've been letting him beat you. I want you to fight with everything you have, every single time. Train as though your life depended on it. It's time to get serious."

Pan nodded, realizing that this was a call to arms. She gazed up into her grandfather's warm dark eyes and felt the strength emanating from him as he spoke

"If you remember nothing of this dream, I want you to remember one thing, Pan-chan. Can you try to do that for me?"

She nodded again, and hearing a slight beeping noise she realized that the tank was draining and she would wake up from her dream shortly. She threw her arms around Goku again, squeezing tightly. She had decided that she would spend the last few seconds of her dream making up for a decade of not being able to hug him.

Goku placed a hand on her back. Although she had grown since he had last held her, she was still tiny in comparison to his massive size. "You need to be creative to beat this enemy. Brute force alone will not do it. You need to develop your mental powers, along with Bra's, and train constantly…"

He paused to scratch his head, "And there was one more thing… what was it? It was something important, I know…"

"Grandpa!" she said frantically, as the beeping became louder. "Try to remember!"

"It had something to do with… noodles? No, that can't be it…"

"Grandpa! Quick!" she said, feeling herself pulled away from the dream.

"Was it… fish? Hmm…"

"Grandpa Goku!" she screamed

"Money… coins… flipping coins… oh! I've got it, Pan-chan!" he said suddenly, holding up a finger victoriously, "You need a tail. You have to find some way to grow a tail!"

"What? A tail!" she yelled as she felt a vortex grab a hold of her and rip her away from him, "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he said with a grin, "You need to be able to go…"

He disappeared from sight.

"GRANDPA!" she screamed, but the sound was muffled from green liquid gurgling into her mouth as she opened it. She coughed and spat out the terrible tasting liquid. Her oxygen mask had come off from her movements while she had been asleep and dreaming.

She angrily ripped all the wires that were attached to her away from her body, and shoved the door of the rejuvenation tank open before the liquid had completely drained, causing some of it to spill out onto the laboratory floor. She stepped out in a rush, looking to the spot where Goku had been standing in her dream, and quickly sensed the planet and nearby galaxy for his energy signal. It had really just been a dream. There was no sign of him.

Pan grasped her head and took a few dizzy steps to where she had lain out her gi on an infirmary table. She hadn't taken two steps before she slipped on the green liquid and fell to the ground, landing awkwardly on her bottom for the second time that hour.

She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them, resting her chin on her knees dejectedly.

"Grandpa," she whispered into the empty room, letting a few tears slip from her eyes.

She stayed like this for a few moments until a noise made her jump.

"Pan!" said a voice from behind her. She immediately feared that it was Trunks, having felt his ki in the building earlier, even while she was asleep. It would be terrible if he saw her like this! Sitting in her underwear on the floor in a pool of green slime and crying like a child.

That was her immediate thought, but as her head snapped around and a white sphere came hurtling at her chest just as she recognized the voice, the fear was replaced by delight. She instinctively held out her arms to catch it.

"Giru miss Pan! Giru miss Pan very much!"

"I missed you too," she said softly as she gently squeezed the robot against her. He was just who she had needed to see at that very moment. If she had ever needed anyone. Her tears flowed freely again, sliding down Giru's white contours just as they had done when she had been a lonely little girl of fourteen out in space.

"Giru. Giru. Pan is leaking! It has been 45 Earth days since Giru last saw Pan. Is Pan no longer Giru's friend?"

Pan felt guilt increase her tear-flow, "We'll always be friends! I'm so sorry I haven't been around… so much has happened."

"Giru know Pan is mad at Trunks. Pan does not like Trunks anymore. Pan does not like Giru too?"

Pan let out a sound that was half laugh and half sob as she tightened her arms around the robot and put her cheek against his cool surface.

"You silly robot. I love you to death."

"Death! Giru. Giru. Danger! Danger!"

"Giru," she said seriously then, wiping her tears away. "I dreamed of grandpa."

"Tell Giru dream!"

"Well, he said that in order to beat the enemy I had to be creative…" Pan was so focused on telling her little robot friend about her dream that she didn't notice a large figure step into the doorway. She mumbled softly about the tail as she stared off into the distance.

"Why would grandpa say that, Giru? He didn't get to finish what he was saying. Dende, I miss him so much."

"Giru miss Goku too!"

"Do you remember him? Do robots have memories?" she asked in surprise. "Is there a limit to how much you can remember?"

"Giru has all of Goku's data! Giru remember. Giru remember!"

"I envy you, then," she said softly. "It's been so long, and my memory isn't perfect. I wish I could remember his every word in perfect detail like you probably can."

"He mostly complained about his hunger," said the voice from the doorway. Pan looked up, startled.

"Trunks… what are you doing here?"

"Have you forgotten so soon, Panny? I live here."

She hadn't even noticed his ki moving closer, having been so preoccupied with the emotions from her dream. She cleared her throat, realizing that she was sitting on the floor in her underwear before him. And it wasn't nice underwear either; it was the basic sports cotton she wore under her training gi. She released Giru from the tight hug she had held him in, and rose to her feet. One of her hands moved quickly to her side, where Para's "bullet hole" would have been, but she relaxed in relief: the tank had completely healed the wound, only moments before. Pan raised her ki to burn the green liquid off her body and quickly grabbed her red gi and pulled it back on.

"I meant why are you here in the infirmary? I'm sure you sensed my energy…"

"I just wanted to come and take a peek to see if you were OK. I just got home from work and felt a strange disturbance in your ki… I hope you don't mind me checking on you."

"No. It's fine. It's good to see you again, Trunks," she said, before turning to leave.

"Pan!" called out Giru, flying to block her exit. "Don't go! Make friends again with Trunks. Giru miss Pan!"

Pan felt an ache in her chest as she reached out and caressed the robot lovingly, "I have to go, Giru. I'll see you soon, I promise."

"Would you like to keep him?" Trunks suddenly offered. He had found it painful to say the words, for Giru was his dearest companion, who incessantly reminded him of the adventures he'd had with Pan and Goku. It was Giru who had kept Trunks sane through some of the toughest moments of this breakup, when Trunks had been sitting alone and questioning everything. But it seemed like Pan needed Giru as much as he did.

Pan looked at Trunks in surprise, "You would… let me keep Giru?"

"Yes, of course. He's your robot as much as he is mine," Trunks said, forcing a smile. He had felt his heart breaking when he entered the room and saw Pan sitting on the floor and hugging Giru and whispering to him. Just as she had done so many years ago. He had also felt a small amount of jealousy. The same jealousy he'd always felt when Pan connected so deeply with Giru instead of with him.

"Thank you, Trunks… I don't know what to say…"

The two stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. It was the first time they had laid eyes on each other since she had left him at the apartment, both of them crying. Pan found it felt very different to look at Trunks through her own eyes than through Para's. It felt so emotional.

"Just take care of Giru for me. He's my favorite little snowball," said Trunks affectionately.

"Giru is not snowball! Not snowball! Giru. Giru."

Pan couldn't resist a small smile. The nickname had been established a few years ago during the winter holidays when Marron's girls had decided to build a snowman. Olive and Nyssa had carefully rolled two snowballs and stacked them on top of each other, but when it came time for the head of the snowman, Nyssa had been struck with a brilliant idea.

"_Olive! I know how to make the best snowman ever," Nyssa had cried._

"_You dork. He's just going to melt anyway…"_

"_Maybe the rest of him… but not the head! Giru will be the head of our snowman! He's the perfect shape and size…"_

"_Hey… that is actually a pretty good idea," Olive had remarked thoughtfully. "Giru, get over here!"_

_The two toddlers had laughingly chased a frantic Giru around for an hour, and when Giru had finally become exhausted and sought refuge hiding behind Trunks and Pan, his best friends had sold him out._

"_Aw, Giru!" Trunks had said with a laugh. "Why are you playing so hard to get? You know you want to. Just humor them!"_

"_They're just little girls," Pan had said. "Please Giru. Let them use you for the head of their snowman?"_

"_Giru is not snowball! Giru is not snowball!"_

_Trunks and Pan had laughed, along with the rest of the Z-team that had been nearby. Giru had eventually given in and had sat miserably on top of the other two snowballs, with a little black hat on his head. He had retracted his arms inside himself and looked at Trunks and Pan with his best rendition of a robot-pout as the girls danced and sang around him._

It had been a memorable winter. Now it was bittersweet. Every happy memory was tainted with the sting of loss.

Trunks cleared his throat, "Remember not to let him near any rusty metal. He'll eat it and get sick later…

"Kami, Trunks! You think after a month of not living with you I'd forget how to feed our robot?"

"It's been thirteen and a half months since you lived with me. For you, that is… counting the time chamber," he explained. _And for me it feels like it's been even longer._

"Still," she said, surprised that he realized exactly how long it had been for her, "A year is hardly long enough for me to forget how to feed Giru. I've been feeding him for the last several years because you were so busy with work you kept forgetting! I should probably ask Giru whether you've been remembering to feed him…"

"Giru. Giru. Trunks still forgets! Trunks still forgets!"

"See!" she said smugly.

Trunks smiled, "Well, you're his mother. That's your job. My job is to take him apart and fix him when his circuitry malfunctions."

Pan suddenly realized how awkward it was to be talking about Giru in these terms. In a way, however, they were like Giru's parents. They had found him, rescuing him from the harsh Imeckian desert, and in a manner of speaking, adopted him. The concept gave her an idea.

"Why don't we work out a joint custody arrangement?" Pan suggested, "Giru can come live with me, but visit you on the weekends."

"That sounds good to me…"

"No! Giru love Trunks and Pan! Giru want both! Live with Trunks and Pan together! Like before. Giru. Giru."

Trunks and Pan looked at each other in surprise and Pan felt a blush creep into her cheeks as her eyes fell to the ground, "No, Giru… you don't understand."

"Just take him, Pan," said Trunks sourly.

Pan suddenly realized that if she kept Giru, the curious little robot might find out about Para. As much as she missed her companion and the sidekick of her teenage years, she couldn't risk it.

"Well, Trunks. How about this…" she said, lifting her eyes to meet his again, "I am still living with Bra, and you know how she has a weird problem with Giru…"

"Giru. Giru. Bra is scared!"

Trunks grinned, "I don't think she would still scream at the sight of him like she used to."

"Maybe not, but I probably shouldn't invite him to live with me while I'm staying at her place. Why don't you keep Giru for a few months… and then when I get settled with my own place, then he can stay with me for a little while?"

"Of course," he said, somewhat relieved that he wouldn't be losing Giru in addition to Pan. At least not right away. "Just let me know when you want him."

Pan nodded at Trunks, thanking him with a Son smile. She saw a look in his eyes which suddenly reminded her: images of him in bed with Para a few nights ago danced through her brain. She remembered him moving on top of her so forcefully, so angrily… the rage, the passion. Her smile disappeared, and her eyes fell back to the ground as she moved to leave.

"Panny…"

"I have to go."

* * *

"A tail, Panny?" Bra grumbled. "I could probably do it, but not anytime soon."

"Why not? Grandpa said I need one…"

"Well, for starters… would we even be able to fuse if you had a tail and I didn't? And if we were, on top of that, Para might have a tail. It's already hard enough to hide her power, but it would be impossible to convince anyone she was human if she had a tail."

"You're right." Pan sighed, "But what am I going to do? How am I going to get stronger? Grandpa said…"

"Panny, are you sure it was Goku? I mean, I know that you've had a few weird dreams come true, or come true to some extent at least… but what if this one was just a dream?"

"No, you don't understand! It was so realistic, he was right there! I saw him, I felt him. It was more like a vision than a dream. You know, if I had a tail, and we were fused, and Para had a tail… she might be able to go Super Saiyan 4. Easily. She's so comfortable in the third level."

Bra groaned, "But let's just say that hypothetically this power you and dad are so scared of is really a bad guy, and that there might be a fight at some point. We can't fuse to fight! We'll have to fight individually, because we can't ever let anyone find out about Para."

"Also true." Pan frowned, "All the more reason I should have a tail. It will help me to increase my own power. Please Bra, can you look into it for me?"

"Sure. I'll see if I can come up with something. But no growing tails until we're finished with Para!" Bra said sternly. Then her face eased up into a smile, "Ready for our training session with Goten in the morning?"

"Of course. Remember not to throw yourself at him so obviously this time."

"I am not obvious!" Bra insisted.

Pan placed her hands on her hips, mimicking her friend by using a high pitched voice, "STOP SMOKING NOW, GOTEN! I can't bear the thought of such a disgusting object touching your beautiful body! OHHHH, GOTEN!"

"I do not sound like that!" screeched Bra in a high-pitched voice, in effect sounding exactly like that. She realized it immediately and began to grumble.

Pan laughed, "Well, my innocent, oblivious uncle is easy to fool and manipulate. I'm more concerned about the family dinner in a few days…"

Bra nodded, "So am I. I am kind of freaked out that dad will see Para and immediately know that it's us."

"Let's just plan carefully… we'll need to do all we can to deceive Vegeta..."

* * *

Later that week, as Para approached the Capsule Corp. compound, she didn't realize that one member of the Briefs' household, one with a particularly scientific and suspicious mind, peered down at her through a small gap in venetian blinds. It was a momentary calculated and distrustful glance amidst the chaos of the family within the house:

"The bots have almost finished making dinner," Bulma pointed out sharply. "Where is she?"

"She's a busy girl, mom. She'll be here."

"I hope so. If she doesn't arrive here in five minutes, I swear…"

"She's already been shot for dating me. What worse could you put her through?"

"I am a mother, therefore I am an expert at creative torture…"

"Woman, quit your griping. I am hungry, may we begin eating?"

"If you take off your armor, I'll let you start eating, Vegeta."

"I will not take off my armor. I am returning to my training immediately after this ridiculous dinner. I have agreed to meet the boy's new weakling woman, have I not?"

"Father!"

"If she doesn't show up in three minutes, I swear…"

The doorbell rang.

"Told you."

Trunks went to answer the door and he greeted Para with a kiss on the lips. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "My parents are a little bit crazy…"

"It's nothing I can't handle. They can't be worse than mine!" she said with a laugh. _Really. They can't be worse than mine, because they ARE mine. I crack myself up._

"BOY!" shouted Vegeta, "Bring her in here NOW so we can begin eating."

Trunks whispered again, "And my father is really rude and a bit scary…"

"And he has GREAT hearing!" shouted Vegeta, "So quit whispering and GET THE FUCK IN HERE so I can eat!"

_Wow… Dad's being particularly rude, _thought Para,_ I mean, he's not exactly a social butterfly, but this is unusually crass. Even for him!_

Para followed Trunks into the room and a smiling Bulma greeted her with a handshake, "Hello, dear. I'm Bulma, Trunks' mom."

"Medea Meadows. It's wonderful to finally meet you!"

"What a lovely name. That grunting fellow is Trunks' grumpy father, but you can just ignore Vegeta altogether. Trunks has told us absolutely nothing about you, so you will have to tell us all about yourself."

"Sure! For starters though, I brought presents for both of you." Para handed a gift bag to Bulma and walked over to Vegeta to hand him one. The saiyan turned his head away from her angrily and didn't take the bag.

"Oh my goodness!" screamed Bulma, "It's the DVD set of Season Six of _The Cold and The Powerful_! I love that show. I can't wait to watch it!"

Para laughed, and turned back to the angry dark-haired man, "Won't you accept my gift, Vegeta?"

He scowled at her, "Address me with some respect, female! Do you know who I am? Do you have any clue in just whose presence you're standing?"

Para curiously peered into Vegeta's mind. He was thinking: _I wonder how much of an asshole I will have to be to scare her away from my son_. _I do NOT want my son to end up with some weakling human, he belongs with Pan. The kids will get over their differences eventually, but I can't allow some creature with the power level of a rodent to get in the way of Trunks and Pan being together. The last thing those two need right now is more obstacles and complications._

Para smiled. She genuinely smiled. _Vegeta_, she thought fondly. _You're the best_.

"Mr. Vegeta, sir," she said coyly, holding out the gift bag very close to his face, "I would love it if you would at least _look_ at your gift. I spent a lot of time choosing it."

A delicate aroma reached his sensitive nostrils and they flared rebelliously.

"I need nothing from you whatsoever!" Vegeta growled, snatching the bag away from her hand. "I am the Prince of Saiyans, what could you possibly give me that I… is this raspberry amaretto vanilla swirl fudge? That's my favorite."

Bulma giggled, "What do you say, Vegeta?"

Gruffly, he murmured a thank you. The fudge was already out of its packaging and in his mouth.

Para concealed her smirk, "It's my pleasure."

"Medea, please take a seat," said Trunks, pulling a seat for her at the dinner table. Para suppressed a frown, since Trunks had pulled _Pan's chair_ out for her. Nevertheless, she sat down and thanked him. Both Pan and Bra had eaten before the dinner so that Para wouldn't be so hungry she ate like a saiyan.

The Briefs family began to eat pleasantly, with Bulma and Para making idle chit-chat while the men scarfed down their meals. Para ignored her somehow _still_ growling stomach and tried to eat in a dainty manner.

"I can't believe you're a fan of that show too!" Bulma was prattling on, "Can you believe they killed off Garrick at the end of Season Five? He was such a hunk! What a dreamy man, really, I could just…"

Vegeta snarled, a red aura of ki cackling around him. He glared at Bulma as he reached for a leg of chicken and ripped at it with his teeth in a manner which was positively bestial.

"Relax, Veggie! He's a character on a TV show. Quit scaring our guest! What's gotten into you?"

Trunks and Bulma both looked at Para with worry, hoping she wouldn't be too frightened, but she only lightly giggled at Vegeta's show of anger while she shovelled creamed corn into her mouth at an alarming rate.

She heard their surprised thoughts and she paused, swallowed, and smiled, "This corn is absolutely delicious! Bulma, you're a wonderful cook!"

"Oh, sweetie," said Bulma grinning. "I couldn't cook to save my life. But I do make the robots who do the cooking!"

"That's even more impressive," said Para with a laugh as she stabbed a shrimp and brought it to her mouth

When Para laughed, Vegeta paused in his ravenous chewing for a second. _There's something about that laugh... _He stared at her deep plunge neckline.

_I can see why my son has chosen this new woman. Although she might be weak, her breasts are larger, rounder, fuller and far more appetizing than Pan's are. If I were 30 years younger…_

Para dropped her fork and began to cough violently on the piece of shrimp. It was times like these that reading minds was NOT such a blessing. _DENDE. MY FATHER JUST CHECKED ME OUT. And that son of a bitch insulted my breasts! Well, maybe if he didn't make me train with him every day I might actually be able to gain some body fat and have a chest to speak of! DAMN YOU, VEGETA! When did you even take notice of my breasts to begin with? EW._

"Are you alright, Medea?" asked Trunks in concern.

Vegeta had continued staring, _And they bounce so delightfully when she coughs. They are rather firm and buoyant. Maybe I should let Bulma get that cosmetic surgery she's been..._

Para's coughing turned to laughter, _Mom wants to get a boob job? And she discussed this with Dad? And he refused? This is RICH!_

"Uh, Medea? Are you OK?" asked Trunks again.

_Boob job! Mom wants a boob job!_ She tried to control her giggles, "Yes, I'm just laughing at my own stupidity! I completely forgot I was allergic to shellfish. Silly me!"

Para sent a cheerful look at Trunks, depositing a piece of steak on her tongue.

_Yes,_ thought Vegeta,_ Trunks must be pleased that his new woman is not flat-chested like Pan._

Para then began to cough on her steak. She snapped her head around to glare at Vegeta. _FLAT-CHESTED! Keep your ki down, Para, keep your ki down._

At that moment, Bulma noticed her husband's line of sight and promptly smacked him upside the head.

"Vegeta!" Bulma said sourly. "Please quit staring at her in that manner."

"Hm," Vegeta responded. "I just can't get over how much she looks like a younger version of you, Bulma."

"Do you think so?" Para asked, gazing at Bulma. Bulma looked from Vegeta to Para, smiling.

"Yes, Vegeta… now that you mention it!" said Bulma snapping her fingers. "This explains everything! I get it now!"

"Get… what?" asked Para nervously, as she placed a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth.

"Why Trunks is seeing you, Medea! I read somewhere that boys always choose women who resemble their mothers. Your blue hair and blue eyes, and your flawless figure… well! You have a slightly darker colouring, but I can see the resemblance. This is some Freudian thing, for sure!"

Trunks blushed, "Mother!"

Para laughed. She loved seeing him embarrassed.

Vegeta dropped his leg of meat quite suddenly and snapped at Para, "Girl! Who the hell are you?"

Para turned to face him, surprise evident on her face, "What? I told you, I'm Medea Mead…"

"What are you?"

"I'm… a resident doctor."

"Don't act stupid," said Vegeta angrily, shoving his empty plates aside in annoyance. "When you laughed your ki doubled."

"My… I'm not sure what you mean."

"A very small increase," said Vegeta, leaning forward. "Imperceptibly small since your ki is already so low. But as a proportion of your total energy, it does not make sense for anyone's strength to double when they laugh. Unless they're trying very hard to suppress their true power."

_I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot. Please don't figure me out, Dad, please don't figure me out. Bullshit time. _She swallowed, "Well, you see I have this rare condition. It's strange, but it causes me to get pretty dizzy when I laugh or sneeze, so maybe that's what you're talking about."

"Hmph."

"Oh! I once knew a girl who had an issue with sneezing," commented Bulma. "Her name was Launch, and her hair colour was almost exactly the colour as yours. Maybe a relative? It could be a hereditary trait."

"I think I've heard that name before," said Para, smiling. "She might be a distant relative."

"Well! I hope your condition isn't as bad as hers was."

"It's nothing really."

"Medea's really tough," Trunks said to his parents, having paused in his eating for a moment. "She took a bullet a few days ago, and she didn't even go to the hospital. She just removed it herself and bandaged it up. I was really impressed."

"My goodness dear! You should let a doctor look at that," remarked Bulma.

"I looked at it myself," said Para with a small chuckle. "You wouldn't believe how many mistakes doctors make on a daily basis. They're tired and overworked and… I'm confident I can do a better job on my own."

Vegeta was still glaring at her. When she chuckled, he noticed the strange disturbance in her energy again. It wasn't as profound as when she laughed, but he sensed something strange from her. Was it really some odd illness? Perhaps, but it seemed somehow familiar to him. Where had he felt that before? He concentrated, trying to remember. Well, if he couldn't figure it out on his own, he would just scare her into giving up information. Maybe if he bluffed…

"So girl, do you train?"

"Actually, yes. Goten has been teaching me a few things, and I've just learned the basics of how to manipulate ki."

"And where did you learn to suppress your ki so well?"

"Suppress my…"

"Father!" Trunks complained, "I've had enough of this! Stop being such a creep and try to be polite to my girlfriend."

Para stood up nervously, "Could I use your bathroom?"

Once she had been pointed in the direction of the room, Para locked herself in and opened her purse. She pulled out a syringe and quickly filled it with a dose from a vial before tucking the vial back in her purse. She took a deep breath and held the needle over the inside of her elbow with a shaking hand.

_I knew I shouldn't have come near Vegeta. He's not an idiot like his son. Come on Para. Come on. Get a grip!_ She looked in the mirror, searching her own foreign deep blue eyes for strength.

"You can do this," she whispered to herself. She closed her eyes and jabbed the needle into her arm, making a small fearful squeaking noise. Were the tranquilizers losing effect? Should she administer larger doses? She unloaded the liquid into her bloodstream slowly, hoping that it would be enough to lower her ki from Vegeta's suspicion. Enough to keep it down, even when she lost concentration on suppressing it during the milliseconds of her laughter.

"AHA!" shouted a male voice, and a loud clattering noise was heard.

Para turned and screamed.

"Giru. Giru," the robot pointed a triumphant accusing finger, "Pan in disguise! Girl is Pan. Pan scared of needles!"

"No! Giru, it's not me!" she spat out as she tore the needle out of her arm. Her words came out in a panicked jumbled mess. Then she realized that she had basically admitted her identity and she hit herself in the face with the hand that wasn't holding the needle.

"Giru has Pan's fighting data downloaded. Girl's movements match Pan's data. Girl is…"

"NO!" shouted Para, letting the needle fall from her hand as she grabbed Giru and clamped a hand over his robotic mouth.

She held him close to her face and whispered, "Giru, please! Please, if you love me don't…"

The bathroom door opened to reveal a frowning Bulma, "What's going on here?"

Bulma looked at the scene. Para had a terrified expression on her face and held Giru in a stranglehold as a syringe was spinning on the floor.

"Giru, what are you doing in the bathroom, frightening the poor girl?" asked Bulma with annoyance. Then her eyes settled on the syringe and she bent over to pick it up, "What's this?"

Trunks and Vegeta arrived on the scene, and Para glanced at them both nervously. She knew she should let go of Giru's mouth, but the robot had figured out her identity, and if he spoke…

"Giru, you can't spy on girls when they go to the bathroom!" Trunks chastised. "Medea is our guest and she deserves her privacy… here, let me take him away from you…"

"No!" exclaimed Para rapidly, tightening her clamp on the robot's mouth. "I mean, he startled me at first, but he apologized and now we're on good terms. Right, Giru?"

Para gave Giru a look which was very familiar to him. He knew that it was Pan's patented "I'm going to kill you if you displease me" look. He knew exactly what it meant. Visions of Pan's fists flying toward him swam through his mind.

Giru struggled against Para's grip, flailing his arms and legs in a way that Para knew would normally coincide with him calling out, _"Danger, Danger!"_

But she would not allow him to speak those two words and betray her. She glared at him angrily until he calmed down and looked at her with submission. His little robot limbs hung loosely at his sides.

Slowly, she released him, and he did not bolt to hide behind Trunks. Instead he simply spoke, "Giru. Giru. Strange girl whom Giru has not met. Giru does not know strange girl. Giru made mistake, scared girl. Giru sorry."

Para smiled at him appreciatively.

"You still haven't explained this," said Bulma, waving the syringe in Para's face angrily.

"Isn't it obvious, woman?" Vegeta snorted. "The girl is a druggie. Trust our son to be attracted to a heroin addict."

"It is NOT heroin…"

"Father!"

"It's times like these, Bulma, I almost wish he was gay and loved the son of Kakkarot. At least he would be mating with a strong saiyan and not an imbecile human because of her nice breasts."

"Vegeta!" snapped Bulma.

"Father!"

"That syringe is filled with industrial strength painkillers," Para explained, "For the bullet wound. It's embarrassing, but I'm not bulletproof like you people. Being shot hurts."

She turned to walk away and leave the house, but Bulma placed the syringe down on an accent table and ran after her.

Trunks glared at Vegeta for a full minute as the two men were left standing in the hall. "Dad, you know mom is human too. You shouldn't be such an ass to my girlfriend. She was injured because of me."

"Boy, are you serious? How many days ago did you propose to Pan in front of all of us? Is she worth nothing to you? You would cease your pursuit of a saiyan woman to frolic with this worthless human gold-digging bitch?"

"Do not talk about her that way, Father."

Meanwhile, Bulma was crooning to Para, "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry!"

She placed her arm around the girl and guided her onto the sofa, "You should have taken the senzu bean Trunks brought you."

"No, no," Para insisted, "They're too powerful. I might take one to save my life, but not to relieve pain."

"Maybe you should try the rejuvenation tank then, dear…"

"I'm not sure what that is. I will heal eventually, naturally. I just needed the morphine for the pain," she said. Seeing that Trunks and Vegeta had entered the room with Giru, she stood up. "I think I'll go now, but it was nice meeting you all. Trunks has a lovely family, and a lovely little robot."

"Giru like strange girl! Giru. Giru."

Para sent the robot a special knowing look, and clutched her side as she raised herself from the sofa and exited the room.

"Wait, Medea!" called Bulma running after her, "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you were in so much pain. You're so brave to try and hide it from us like that. I would be honoured if you would accompany my son to the Charity Ball."

"I wouldn't want to embarrass you…"

"You couldn't. You're as sophisticated a girl as I could ever imagine my Trunks being with. I didn't mean to give you such a hard time, sweetie. I just love my son more than anything and want the best for him," said Bulma gently. "You must understand that, don't you? He's my first child; my baby. And… well, my daughter's going through some issues and she's hardly around these days, so I have no one else to fuss over but Trunks. I'm just becoming a miserable old woman."

Para couldn't resist reaching out to hug Bulma when she saw the sad look in her eyes. _I'm sorry, mom. I'll spend some time at home soon, I promise._

Bulma returned the hug in her natural motherly way, "Please, Medea… don't let's separate on bad terms. I'm sorry that my husband called you a drug addict, but Vegeta has no manners."

"It's fine. It was kind of funny," said Para with a smile. "I'm so glad you don't disapprove of me. I thought for sure you wouldn't like me."

"Nonesense. How could I not like you? You brought me Season Six of _The Cold and the Powerful_."

The two women laughed together lightly.

"Well, I'm glad you like the gift, Mrs. Briefs. I think I need to go."

"Take care, dear."

Bulma turned and walked back into the house as Trunks exited to say his goodbyes to his new girlfriend. Sighing at what a mess dinner had become, Bulma reached up and ran a few fingers through her hair.

"Why are you condoning this?" asked a nearby voice, startling Bulma. She turned to see her husband standing right behind her, staring at her intently.

"What do you mean?"

"Woman. You have always been the one trying to maintain and strengthen the connections between our family and Kakkarot's. You have always insisted that we treat Pan like our own daughter..."

Bulma reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh, Vegeta... I just don't want to alienate our son."

"And I don't want to humanize him," growled Vegeta, using his hands to encircle Bulma's waist. "Why are you tolerating that girl? If I know you at all..."

"Let's just be patient, Veggie," Bulma whispered. "They'll find their way back to each other."

"Aren't you supposed to help it along?" he asked quietly. "Isn't that what you do, woman?"

Just then Trunks walked in and made a disgusted noise as he saw his parents in a romantic embrace. Bulma abruptly pulled away from Vegeta, and walked into the dining area. She observed the gigantic mess of dishes piled halfway to the ceiling.

_I guess I should start cleaning this place up._

* * *

Moments after Para left the Briefs' household, another uninvited visitor arrived. Vegeta had just opened the refrigerator to retrieve a soft drink (he was ever so slightly addicted to the sugary carbonated Earthling refreshment) before he began training in earnest again until it was time for bed.

However, just as he opened the fridge door, a hand came out of nowhere and slammed it shut. He frowned at the small arm in his line of sight and turned to the person it belonged to. A furious Pan was standing there, decked out in her red training gi, with her messy dark hair spilling over her shoulders.

Her eyes flashed angrily at him, her hand not moving from the fridge door.

"Let's go, Vegeta."

"Show a little respect to your superiors, child."

"Let's. Go." She repeated.

"Brat, have you no manners? Can you not wait until I finish my fucking soda?"

"Fine. One soda."

She removed her hand from the fridge and crossed her arms. Vegeta took his time choosing between grape and cherry soda, and finally, choosing grape, he pushed the metal tab in with his finger and began to chug it. Pan licked her lips, suddenly feeling thirsty, but was too angry to pause in her rampage to consume anything.

"Is your royal appetite sated, your highness?" She asked insultingly. "Do you think the grape soda pop has given you the energy you need to fight me?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes at her meagre insults. Yet, he was intrigued to see Pan so pissed. It was rare that anyone got angry enough to want to have an all-out spar, so he knew he needed to seize the opportunity. He exited the house and began walking toward the gravity room.

"No," said Pan, blurring in front of him, "Not there."

He looked at her with burgeoning interest. She reached out and placed a hand on his rock-solid arm before teleporting to a nearby desert planet that she had encountered on her travels through the galaxy.

_So you think I'm flat-chested?_ Pan thought to herself as she powered up and let her muscles bulge. _I'll show you why I'm flat chested, teacher._

She powered up even further, until the pupils of her eyes disappeared. _Training with you every day won't allow me to gain a speck of fat, anywhere. How dare you insult me?_

Vegeta raised his eyebrows in amusement as he watched her little show. He languidly stretched, taking his time to prepare for what would probably be a quick victory…

He was surprised when her fist connected with his face. And then again. And again. Her foot into his stomach. Again. Again. Explosion. Another explosion.

Vegeta stared at the crazed girl in surprise. Was this Pan? Not the Pan he'd been training with for the past few weeks…

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME VEGETA? DECIDE! DO YOU WANT ME TO BE A WOMAN OR A WARRIOR?"

"Shit, Pan." He wiped the blood away from his eyes, "Can't a saiyan stretch first…"

"NO! MAKE UP YOUR FUCKING MIND VEGETA!"

Vegeta stared at her in confusion as she flew at him again. He quickly powered up to Super Saiyan 2, for she was already at that level. He found that he somehow couldn't keep up with her angry blows. It looked as though she was finally serious.

"First you tell me that Trunks isn't right for me, that I deserve better… then you make me promise that if something happens to you I'll MARRY him? Fucking MARRY him?" she screamed, "WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?"

"Pan, calm down…" he said, growling as he worked to block her attacks. _So she's snapped again. It must be jealousy of that woman Trunks is dating. I don't blame her._

"WHY? TELL ME WHY!" she shouted, ignoring him. She raised both hands above her head, charging up a gigantic ball of energy.

Vegeta stared at her in surprise. Flashes of a young Gohan haunted him. He remembered the manner in which the boy would periodically explode with power on the battlefield, leaving even Vegeta speechless. He remembered the way Gohan had attacked Frieza after seeing Krillen wounded. Most of the time the boy was quiet and shy, but Vegeta had never understood the depths of power he could touch when he reached for it, when he needed it. It was happening again, right before him. In a different way, in a different generation.

Pan had her father's eyes. And his Masendan. She growled through clenched teeth as she poured her vital force into the ball.

"WHAT AM I, VEGETA? A WORTHLESS PAWN OF YOURS? I looked up to you! For advice on everything! You were my mentor, my role model!"

Tears would have been flowing, but as quickly as they gathered they evaporated in the intense heat of the energy which surrounded Pan. Vegeta had been so taken aback by her sudden resemblance to her father that he hadn't been preparing to take the blast. He realized he was in trouble.

"You've been the only one who took me seriously since Grandpa left… you took Grandpa Goku's place in my life... AND I NEED YOU!"

Pan moved the formed Demon Blast Bullet into her right hand, and she reached back, angling her body in preparation for attack.

"SO QUIT SCREWING AROUND WITH MY HEAD!"

She yelled as she pivoted in mid-air and flung her arm and entire upper body to launch the energy sphere at Vegeta. "MAAAAASEEEENNKOOOO!"

He tried to block the attack, but he had underestimated the concentration of power within it. It wasn't kid-Gohan's emotional outburst. It was a blast that had been perfected over the decades, and it was being executed in immaculate form by an adult saiyan woman. It forced him back down into the rocky ground, burying him hundreds of meters into the surface of the planet before it exploded.

The crater that her attack had formed was massive, and it was several minutes of gasping and panting until she caught her breath. _Is this more like it, grandpa? Is this how you want me to train with Vegeta? Fighting at my maximum? _It also took several minutes until Vegeta pulled himself out of the crater and reappeared. The energy blast had apparently knocked the wind out of him and slightly dazed him. When he flew out of the destroyed ground towards her, he was in his final form of Super Saiyan 4. He'd had to power up to take it.

His face was hard. He hadn't been taking her seriously, but now he understood the kind of fight she wanted.

"Fine, girl. No more playing around. Let's get down to business."

"Don't want another soda first?" she asked mockingly. In truth, it slightly terrified her to talk to Vegeta that way. She had already made him angry, why was she pushing it further?

"I am thirsty for another soda. But I feel like beating the shit out of you first," he said, smirking. "Forget trying to stay conscious, Pan. Focus your efforts on trying to stay alive."

His massive arms flexed in front of him then moved down to his side. Fuchsia energy gathered there as his eyes narrowed at her.

"I am going to assume," he spoke as he charged up the energy, "That this planet is uninhabited."

She nodded as she crouched down into a defensive stance. The red rims around his eyes grew darker, and she wondered how she was going to deflect what came next. Had she ever before taken a full power energy wave from him while he was in Super Saiyan 4? No, it was impossible. He wouldn't be so reckless on Earth. But she'd made sure that they weren't on Earth.

_Well, I asked for it, _she thought sarcastically.

Vegeta's voice bellowed, echoing through the nearby canyons, "SUUUUPERRRR GAAAAAALLIIIIICK GUUUUUUUUN!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back on Earth in the Capsule Corp. compound, Bulma was "cleaning up." Her method of cleaning up consisted of pouring herself a glass of wine while she sat to watch her new DVDs, and occasionally glancing at her cleaning robots to make sure they were doing everything correctly.

When the first episode finished, Bulma stared at the blank screen for a few minutes, lost in thought. She was slightly startled when a figure moved into her line of sight.

"Ms. Bulma," said the cleaning robot politely. "An unidentified object has been found. Should I dispose of this?"

She frowned for a second, snapped out of her reverie as she stared at the object. She didn't recognize it for a second, and then it hit her.

_Medea's syringe._

"I'll take that," she said to the robot, reaching out and carefully picking it up between her thumb and forefinger. She peered at the syringe suspiciously. Noticing a single droplet of liquid left in the transparent cylinder, Bulma smirked. _I guess there is one way to find out if she was using a recreational drug like heroin or a painkiller like morphine._

_I should send this to the lab for testing._

* * *

Yay! Another chapter complete. Forgive me if the story has been kind of Briefs-family heavy thus far. Personally, I am really craving some Son family action, and I hope to provide some in subsequent chapters.

Question: Where did everyone get the idea that Vegeta would call all the kids "brat" and do so forever? Even by the end of DBZ Vegeta smiles at Chibi Pan's efforts to train and says, "Pan has the right idea." Then there's the moment in GT when Goku has left, and Pan finds his clothing. She knows something is up, and Vegeta consoles her, calling her "Pan."

Anyway! Onto the thank yous:

**Sakura Kuchiki**: Welcome to the story! Thanks a million for your lovely review. My goodness, it took you 18 hours to read it? Whoa! Can you imagine how long it takes me to write it? Hehehe, this chapter alone has probably taken me over 50 hours. It's pretty life-consuming, but I'm learning to be careful and patient from spending this much time and energy on a big project like this. I'm SOOOOO glad that you feel so much affection for the characters. I get a lot of people hating on them for the terrible things I've made them do/say so it's nice to see that you're loving them more through reading this! I'm so glad you can relate to the girls. A lot of that anger is written from my personal experience. Anyway, I can't wait to hear your feedback on future chapters! Thank you for your kind words. I was actually rather depressed the past few days, but getting your review last night pulled me out of it and made me work on this all night. Thank you so so much. ^-^

**jazzyfizzler:** Thank youuu for your sweet review! It still makes me incredibly happy to see your emotions as you read it, that still is the most awesome thing ever. =D Sorry that your life has been crazy, but thank you for taking the time to pop in and leave me a review anyway, it means soooo much! How are things coming along with "Moments"? I've been missing your story!

**18katrina**: Awww... thank you for the intended hug! It's so sweet and I will gladly accept it. My secret? Well, I think about this story almost every minute of every day, and whenever I get an idea for future chapters I write it down. Whenever I'm driving in my car, I imagine the scenes playing out. While I drove to Chicago for 8 hours I imagined one scene over and over for the whole trip, lol! Also, I do constant research, as if I'm writing a University essay. It's silly, but I generally have 10 Dragon Ball wikia sites open with all the information I need. I even re-check things I already know, and I try to get the details right of how their hands are positioned when they do their attacks or whatnot. It's surprisingly technical. I also re-watch parts of the epsiodes for information on the characters' interaction with each other. I really try my best to get everything "right" which is kind of silly, I'm aware, since it's all made up anyway. Hehe. Of course, these amazing reviews I'm receiving are part of my secret. I don't want to disappoint anyone, and everyone is being so nice that I can't help but try my best with everything I have. Can I have some pie now? :D I love you for your kind words! Hehe.

**Shahi**: Hehe, I hope you like the dress Anmylica drew. :D Ooh, and glad you also caught the flower reference. Your review was so sweet, and please don't worry about making it too long! I treasure every word. Thanks for encouraging me! By the way. Bet you never guessed it was GIRU that would figure it out! Hehehe. I try to be surprising! Please tell me I surprised you! =D

**gina31486**: Thanks for offering your ideas for the ball! They were super interesting and helpful. I've been writing the ball scene since about chapter 4, and constantly adding little bits to it, lol. Most of it is finished BUT I think I can still incorporate your ideas. I meant to suggest Trunks had dealt with a lot of crazy fans of his own, and probably his sister's and mother's, and was just in general cautious around those crowds. But as you can see, it's still a surprise to Pan that SHE has fans, hehe. I'm writing rich super-spending Trunks based on an older guy I'm dating who acts just like that. I know it's kind of annoying, but they work what they have, and what's easiest, and maybe underneath it all there's some good intent. I'm so sorry if it's starting to seem implausible that they haven't figured out who Para is! Gohan hasn't really had any real interaction with her, but now Bulma has, so let's see where this takes us. ^-^

**DaBigWilliG**: You know I added it for you! It would have been pushed to the next chapter, but I couldn't disappoint you again. I really hope that you enjoyed it, and there's more to come! I have big plans for this whole Vegeta/Pan fight scene, but there are more epic fight scenes to come. This is just training after all. =D

**Hot4DBZ**: Your reviews are so adorable! Thanks for leaving your name because of course the website screwed up AGAIN! Glad you like the cigarette line! I know Trunks might be saying fusion a bit much, but do you know how sometimes, when you're focused on something, it keeps coming up everywhere and driving you crazy? Like once I was really obsessively in love with a guy, and his name came up EVERYWHERE. It wasn't such a popular name either. Similarly, now, I got an email offering me "50% off Fusion Cuisine!" and I actually hadn't heard of fusion food before. Then I heard an advertisement for a Ford Fusion, and since it's always on my mind it just clicked into place. ;) Thank youuuu for your review and I hope so much you like this chapter!

**Phantasom**: I hope you get a chance to read this! I made up the "Pan Fans" and explained a bit about them in this chapter, hehe. Well! I will miss your reviews, but I wish you all the best at boot camp and hope it's not too stressful and/or painful.

**Arian**: Really, did you think it was romantic? Hehe. Actually I was in a really romantic mindset when I wrote the violent sex scene chapter, but in a bit of an angry/depressed mindset when I wrote the last chapter. I just felt that I had to go as opposite as possible from the predominant emotions of the previous chapter to keep it interesting. God, it must be difficult to read this story all at once with all the changing emotions, lol! I bet it would give someone a headache. But yes, you're right, Charlie is keeping me in a romantic mood lately. I don't think any guy has ever been sweeter to me than he has, but it's too bad that I'm such a crazy and difficult girl to deal with; I fear I'm going to have the opposite effect on him and drive him nuts one of these days. I think writers must all be insane. :D OH! I FORGOT! I finished all of "Breaking Free" and it was AMAZING! Wow, what a story. The development between Bra and Goten was INTENSE and insane, and it was so heartbreaking... Bra's struggle for freedom from her father's tyranny and oppression was so poignant. It made me so happy that I don't have a father. I can't stand being controlled. I remember visiting my Uncle in Miami when I was 17, one month away from turning 18, and he managed to tell me there were a million things I couldn't do because I "wasn't 18." He even threatened to call the police when I decided to go for a walk on my own... I cannot STAND overbearing male authority, and I WENT CRAZY. I'm never going near that man again, lol.

**Suzki**: LOL! The line you quoted was actually written by Anmylica when I showed her the chapter before publishing. She wrote that line and I read it and laughed so much I had to include it! It is such a deliciously gross thought, hehehe.

**celestialpolaris**: Nooo! Class is important too! My story will be here when you finish things you need to do, hehe. Sorry that I didn't add more about the Bra/Vegeta fight scene in here, but I simply didn't have room for it in this chapter! I will try to work in some Bra action at some point, so we can see what she's made of. ACTUALLY speaking of _Groundbreaking Science_, there is a really cool way I've thought of fitting that book into this story! Thank you as usual for your lovely reviews! :D

**Supersaiyan247**9: Hehe, thanks! I really appreciate your review! ^-^

**mali86**: I hope you liked it!

**Leecassi**: Omg! Thank you so much for your review. I thought it was funny which line you picked as your favourite, and it might come into play later actually. =D Sorry about the cliffy, I just absolutely had to! By the way, your story is AMAZING and I sincerely apologize for slacking off in my reviewing. I just have been so consumed with this it's been tough to get a chance to read! But I couldn't STOP READING your naughty B/V sex scene, so very very yummy. =D

**Talk smith Kid**: Nooo! it's not about dominance, it's about the angle of being on top which feels better! Hehehe. Trust me, the guy will do all the work anyway, he should grab your hips and use his upper body strength to move you around. I always enjoyed being on top, but only recently have I really come to enjoy being on the bottom too, hehe. =D ANYWAY, I am SO glad you enjoy reading about Bra's discomfort about the whole Para/Trunks thing! It's sooo hilarious, even though it's not funny at all! I crack up while writing those scenes, lol.

**Hanako:** I hope you enjoyed it! I'm sorry if it's taking too long for me to get to the main action, it's just I have it all planned out in my head and have to follow the plan no matter how long it takes! Lol. I really screwed myself over by making such a detailed plan. Oh well! There's really nothing that makes me happier than the feedback I'm receiving, so it's all worth it and I really don't want to rush this one.

**famoso**: Thanks for the suggestion for the ball. I think that's a really good idea! It got my wheels working. I might include a few extra scenes in the ball because of your review. :D

**kickstartmyhar**t: I'm glad you liked it! And I hope I took care of the hospital situation adequately, hehe. Thank you so much for your review!

**PaintedinAllColors**: Thank you for your review! So glad you like the angst. I used to love vampires when I was younger, before they became so popular. But I've never liked the Vampire lore mixed in with DBZ. Saiyans are primates, where do you get this whole biting on the neck and marking thing from? I don't get it, lol.

**Alice Anson**: Thanks! Glad you like the plot.

**anonymous**: Thank you for your compliment on my creativity! You're so kind. It's possible that I wasn't being flamed, but I think I was. You're right though, with a story of this length I think no one would really get this far unless they like it to some extent.

**Anmylica:** THANK YOU for your constant support and encouragement and for chatting with me about this so much! Your pushing has really helped me to get this far and the story wouldn't be the same without you. I also love love love your drawings and the wedding dressed has really sparked my imagination for future chapters! You're an awesome friend, and I'm sending MOUNTAINS of hugs and kisses your way! =D

* * *

My life sucks so much right now, you guys have no idea. I desperately need new adventures.

Reviews are definitely, 100%, the best thing in my life at this point, so please shoot me one if you can! =)

If you guys can't stand to wait for new chapters (although they will be posted soon) you can read up to chapter 30 immediately in our Facebook group: Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak. See you there!


	16. Death for Power

_Chapter Sixteen: Death for Power_

This chapter is for the boys who are reading. If there are any. :) Lots of good, ol' fashioned, DBZ-style fighting.

I've had some pretty big changes happen in my life over the course of the last month. The biggest change has been in my employment, (I needed to find another job that could pay more money in less time so I could afford to keep writing this story! Lol... but I'm actually serious.) but other huge changes include my health occasionally really sucking, my family and friends occasionally really sucking, and boys really sucking.

Anyway! Thank you to those who voted on the chapter title and helped me choose. Thanks to **Anmylica** again for reviewing parts of the chapter and giving me awesome suggestions!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

~PanHopeNvs (**Nadia Scrieva** - "Like" me on FB!)

* * *

A sun was rising in the east. Another was rising from the west. Two more were rising in the south. There was a reason this desert planet was deserted. The only creatures that could tolerate these conditions were the giant ant lions which burrowed beneath the sand to hide from the sweltering heat, but came to the surface periodically in desperate search of food. Pan had nearly been food for them once before.

Now, she looked death in the face again on Planet Rudeeze as a fuchsia wave of energy closed in on her at an alarming rate.

"Kaio-ken," she whispered, as she braced herself against the blast, creating a small shield of energy around herself. She knew it was going to hurt, but Super Saiyan 2 wasn't enough against Vegeta's power. She had to push herself. "Super Kaio-ken times... twenty."

Scarlet red flames infused and mingled with her golden aura as the blast hit her, and for a few seconds, she struggled to hold up the small shield around her as Vegeta forced his energy down into her. The power of the Kaio-ken made her body feel like it was going to burst, but the force of the ki blast bearing down on her was even more intense. Was he trying to kill her? This was too much! This was...

The Galick Gun steadily ate away at her shield, and in another moment it would be engulfing her. Pan screamed until she thought her lungs and throat were incinerating as she tried to tap the stores of energy deep inside her to fortify her defense. She couldn't access an iota more.

The fuchsia ki consumed her and she felt her flesh burning as her body was tossed and torn apart by the explosion. She wondered if it was the end.

After several minutes of darkness, Pan stirred. It was difficult to move, but she began to frantically feel for her limbs to make sure she was still in one piece. She felt that both arms and legs were still connected to her torso, even though she was incredibly numb. She would not be a paraplegic, and this was reassuring. Further examination revealed to her that her somewhat-small (albeit lovely, in her opinion) breasts were unharmed, and her long hair had SOMEHOW not been completely singed off.

She was not merely alive. She was alive and almost as beautiful as she had been before—whatever that amounted to. Not much to Vegeta, apparently. Nevertheless...

Pan pulled herself painfully off the ground and placed her hands on her hips. Her gi was tattered. She flew up towards Vegeta's energy signal, and smirked at him with all the confidence and bravado she didn't feel.

"That tickled!" she said, forcing a performed giggle. Even the small giggle made her body hurt. She imagined that she could feel blood dripping down her stomach from places where the skin had been burned off. The bones of her ribcage were probably visible, but she continued to boast, "You didn't manage to injure me much, but at least you ruined my outfit! Bra would thank you; she says this color is out of fashion."

Vegeta growled and clenched his fists, "Your face is out of fashion. Don't worry, I'm about to pound you a new one."

* * *

The two men were lying on the curved roof of the little house at Mt. Paozu. They had been having a conversation when both of their eyes turned to the sky.

"What on earth?" exclaimed Goten, sitting up suddenly.

"No, they're not on Earth," Trunks corrected, his brow creasing. "Kami. What's my dad doing? I haven't felt him use that much energy since..."

"Since he fought alongside my dad in the last battle," said Goten, his muscles tensing up. He looked to his friend anxiously, getting ready to spring into action, "Is something wrong, Trunks? Are they in danger?"

"No... I don't think so," said Trunks, closing his eyes to focus. "I don't sense anyone near them. They're on an uninhabited planet. Except for some weak creatures. Possibly... Rudeeze?"

"No way. So they're just... training?" said Goten in disbelief, "Like... _that_?"

Trunks gave a slow, sceptical nod, "I guess so."

"Maybe Pan's just angry. She must have heard that you brought another girl home for dinner," suggested Goten, his shoulders relaxing a bit. "So... you successfully made Pan jealous. I guess your plan is working."

"Maybe," said Trunks, also relaxing a bit. That could very well be the cause of this... if Pan still even cared enough to get jealous. Yet it gave him no pleasure or joy to know he was possibly causing her misery. "Goten... I want you to know it's not about that anymore. I'm not trying to piss Pan off, I'm really not."

"Then what is it about?"

"I think... I might actually try to be with Medea."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No." Trunks stared up at the sky for a moment. "I mean, I still love Pan, and I could never love anyone more than I love her. But I really betrayed her trust and hurt her, and that's not easily forgiven. Not in years and years, maybe not ever. I think I have to accept that I may have permanently ruined my chances with her."

"So... you're moving on?"

"I'm trying to. It does sometimes feel wrong when I'm trying to force these feelings with Medea. But it also feels natural. Like she's helping me to slowly heal. And maybe someday I could... begin to love her, even a small amount. She really has remarkable strength of character."

Goten was rendered speechless for several minutes, but then he carefully nodded. "Wow, man. I'm surprised. That actually sounded... mature. As much as I wish you could be my nephew, I'm glad to hear this. I don't want to see you and Pan so unhappy anymore."

"Thanks, Goten." Trunks exhaled, "It began as a farce, but I really do see something special in that girl. I feel like every time I'm around her I learn something new. It's stupid but... I see a lot of Pan in her. Not just because of their similar careers... but because she's genuinely tough and recklessly stubborn."

The younger man smiled, "I know what you mean. After training with Medea a couple times, I'm growing attached to her too. She's so easy to be around, and she feels like one of us. I wouldn't have liked to see you hurt her in a ploy to get to Pan."

"I hate myself for thinking of using her like that to begin with. There's just something novel and special about a nice, normal girl, isn't there?"

"There sure is," agreed Goten. Images of Para's body in motion during their last training session came into his mind. If she was what was considered _normal_ then the word had just become much more appealing to him.

"Holy crap, Goten!" Trunks suddenly shouted, jerking his head up to the sky. His eyes squinted and his nostrils flared at what he sensed: "Can you sense Pan? She's on fire! I think your baby niece has surpassed you in power!"

"No way! Just a few months ago I could kick her ass, there's no way that in such a short period of time..."

"Dude, she spent a year with my sister in the Time Chamber. She's also been training with my dad every day."

After a few minutes of focusing on the powers, Goten admitted, "She is strong. I think she's even stronger than _you_, Trunks."

"Let's not exaggerate, now," Trunks said, but his tone betrayed the fact that he had been anxiously wondering the same thing.

Goten fixed his eyes on the sky, feeling the energy signals of Pan and Vegeta. A deep frown creased his eyebrows as he interpreted what he sensed. It was not only the magnitude of their power which troubled him, but the underlying emotions in their respective kis.

* * *

"The results are in, Mrs. Briefs."

"Well? That took far too long. Tell me."

Bulma stood behind her lab technician in a white coat, her arms crossed as they stared at the giant blown-up image of the molecule.

The man swiveled in his chair and looked up at her apologetically, "Mrs. Briefs, I'm sorry to report that the substance is unidentified."

"What do you mean by _unidentified_?" Bulma demanded. "Of course it's fucking unidentified! I asked you to IDENTIFY IT!"

"I know, but please understand..."

"I gave you two options to test for. Morphine and heroin, along with similar drugs. Painkillers and recreational use drugs. Why can't you give me an answer?"

"Mrs. Briefs," said the technician nervously, "This sample does not correlate to the molecule patterns of either morphine or heroin. I've tested every possible recreational drug, and every possible painkiller, and it doesn't correlate to anything in the database."

"That's impossible," muttered Bulma. "Well, Phillipe, run it through other databases. See if it's some newly developed drug that might not be recognized by C.C.'s laboratory equipment. Although I don't see how that's possible."

"Yes. Right away, Mrs. Briefs."

"Call me if you find anything. Call me immediately, on my personal line."

"I will."

Bulma turned on her heels and walked out of the door. She had been looking forward to getting her answer tonight, but none of the technicians could help her. No one could identify the molecule.

She knew one thing for sure: the substance was not morphine. Medea had lied. However, she needed to know exactly what the substance was before she made a fuss about it. For all she knew, it could just be an advanced type of morphine. She needed to make sure it was something really bad before she tried to ruin Medea's character and life with it.

She hoped it was something really bad.

* * *

As the most intense combat of her life wore on, Pan began to realize that they were both far beyond dehydrated. It was adding a huge complication to their fight. Were there more suns in the sky now than an hour before?_Damn these suns! One is enough! I would love to blow a few up, but it would probably destroy the planet too..._

Sweat was pouring off both of their bodies. Pan would notice this in the occasions when she would land a punch on Vegeta's neck, or face, and feel his clammy wet skin. Her own clothes were thoroughly soaked, and she very much wanted to rip them off—but unfortunately her sparring partner was no longer a blue-haired girl who would hardly notice. It was that girl's terrifying, badass father. She very much missed sparring with Bra and almost always winning. This was just too much.

Every minute was exhausting to the point she could have collapsed. However she wouldn't allow herself to show the slightest sign of pain, mainly because of who she was with.

"Girl, it seems like you want to go all night," Vegeta spat out in between grunts as he dodged her flying fists. "I was kind of hoping to get back to my wife tonight."

"Vegeta, are you getting soft? An enemy isn't going to pause the fight so you can take a cuddle-break."

The man roared and flew at her on the offense, planting his knee into her already bleeding and broken nose before phasing behind her and jabbing his elbow into her spine at the back of her neck. He felt the bones yield a bit beneath his blow and heard her accompanying scream. He laughed.

"Don't be jealous, girl. It doesn't suit you. You should spend less time lamenting that you no longer have anyone to cuddle with and more time defending yourself!"

Pan pulled herself upright, flying away from him and flexing her neck and shoulders. She almost expected every blow he landed to permanently damage her body, and was surprised when she was able to still move the body parts he assaulted. It was like her body had been made for this: made to take the abuse of a full-blooded saiyan. She let out a battle cry and dove at him again.

Vegeta expertly dodged her advances and suggested, "Or maybe I'm wrong."

She growled and continued trying to hit him, "What?"

"Maybe you still have someone to cuddle with. Did something happen in the time chamber that I don't know about?"

Pan chuckled and was momentarily distracted from the fight, "Vege—!"

The booted foot connecting with her jaw caused her teeth to smash against each other and interrupted her speech.

"Focus, Pan!"

"I'm focused enough!" she said, rubbing her jaw and narrowing her eyes. She swivelled abruptly and managed to mirror his kick precisely, slamming her own foot into his face.

She smirked proudly as he spat blood. "I seem to be defending myself perfectly fine. Maybe you should spend less time focusing on the creativity of your insults and more time on keeping up with a warrior who is SO much younger than you are... old man!"

Pan had hardly finished her last syllable before she found herself seeing stars and having her face forced into rock again and again. Vegeta abused her like this constantly for about half an hour, and she found herself more and more unable to defend against him. When she thought she would suffocate or be caused permanent brain damage, she felt Vegeta yank her bleeding head out of the ground by the hair.

Vegeta held Pan up by a handful of her hair clutched in one of his hands and gave her a superior glance, "Do you want to know what I really think of her?"

"Who?" asked Pan, opening her swollen eyes and coughing chunks of dirt out of her throat. Her scalp hurt from the strain on her hair, but she couldn't even create any energy beneath her to hold her up.

"Trunks' new girlfriend," said Vegeta coyly. "Want to know what I think of her?"

He rubbed the back of his free hand over his mouth, haphazardly wiping blood away as he thought to himself: _She's a weakling slut that I would kill in a second if we were on Vegetasai. If I could still get away with anything the way I used to when I was younger, I wouldn't have tolerated that inferior being in my presence for a millisecond. If I were still the renegade homeless mercenary I used to be, without a family and friends to protect and care for, and to set an example for..._

"I don't really care to know what you think," said Pan, as she tried to focus her spinning head and get a handle on her confusion. She couldn't fight if she couldn't even feel the channels of her own ki! She couldn't fly but... maybe if she could hurt him a tiny bit she could use the seconds to recuperate. Pan focused on bringing balls of energy into her hands to initiate her signature Maiden's Rage attack. It was the most simple thing she could manage at the moment. Her fingers began to tingle and she felt the warmth collecting.

Vegeta gripped Pan's hair tighter in his fist, and pulled her close so he could speak into her ear, "I think Medea is... very nice."

"What?" asked Pan in surprise. She dropped the energy she was gathering. If she could have read his thoughts she would have known he was lying.

"Yes. I think she's... perfect for him."

_He's making fun of me, _she realized. _He's trying to use Trunks to make me angry. That's annoying. _The fact that Vegeta's words still angered her, and still made her slightly jealous of Medea/Para (regardless of the fact that she was Medea/Para) made her even angrier. _Get a grip, Pan. He's right. You need to focus. Focus and fight at your maximum. Like Grandpa said. I must be strong for the upcoming battle, whether it's next week or next year._

_I must remember why I'm doing this, _she reminded herself, but in truth, it was hard to forget. When she was this powered up, the powerful energy signal was very easy to sense, albeit far away. It made the power level of the Super Saiyan 4 man before her, who held her suspended by the hair, seem like nothing. That was terrifying. And she could see in Vegeta's eyes that he knew it too. He could also feel it.

_What do I do, Grandpa? I can't beat Vegeta, how can I beat someone—or something—even stronger? _The thought made her already parched throat even drier.

"You're not even worth my time, girl," sneered the saiyan prince, extending his arm fully and disdainfully twisting his wrist to yank on Pan's hair even more painfully. "What little saiyan blood runs through your veins was wasted on you. Gohan should have tried to conceive another."

Pan winced at the pain in her scalp, and coughed up blood. She should let herself become angry. If she could become angry, it would help. She knew that Vegeta was insulting her with her best interests in mind. She knew in her heart that Vegeta didn't mean the words he...

"It is a shame that Goku's grandchild turned out to be such a pathetic pipsqueak. Gohan must be shaking his head in disappointment right now at how quickly your energy faded. Thank the gods you are no longer sleeping with my son! Any other female creature that Trunks could find would be more impressive. I would sooner see him with a female COW."

"VEGETA!" Pan's ki finally flared naturally, giving her a supernatural burst of inhuman power_. I'm fighting this asshole for you, Grandpa!_

She sunk her fingernails into Vegeta's wrist causing him to lose his grip on her hair. She snarled, reaching for his neck with the same nails, "I don't want to hear anything about your stupid son! Forget him and FIGHT ME!"

* * *

"Something's not right, Trunks," said Goten softly.

"What's up, man?" asked Trunks, curious about the serious look on his friend's face.

"Panny's not jealous or angry," said Goten in confusion. "When I first felt her power spike, I thought for sure she'd heard about Medea and needed to let off steam, but... she's mostly calm and focused on this fight. This is 100% about the fight with Vegeta, and not about you. I've never felt her power this high... I never imagined it COULD go so high..."

Goten trailed off and Trunks nodded, "I'm surprised too. What do you think it means?"

"If there's any emotion in her ki, it's... maybe... fear."

Trunks closed his eyes and concentrated on the energy signal of the woman he loved, sensing to confirm Goten's assertions.

"Fear of what?" asked Trunks, frowning. "Fear of my dad?"

Goten snorted, "As far as I know, Pan hasn't been scared of Vegeta a day in her life. Not even when she was a newborn."

"True." Trunks couldn't resist a smile. "Remember the day Pan was born?"

"Yeah, I was in the middle of beating you at that stupid Mr. Satan video game."

"No way. I'd won like ten times in a row."

"_Oooh, I'm going to beat you this time, Trunks! Just you wait and see!"_

"_You can't win if you keep choosing to play as the 'Delivery Boy,' Goten. Mr. Satan is the most powerful character in this game."_

"_But Mr. Satan's not strong!"_

_"Uh, Goten, sonny... can ya keep it down?" mumbled Mr. Satan from his seat not far away from the two boys. He was waiting on news of his daughter's condition._

_"The 'Delivery Boy' is my brother!" said Goten, too focused on the game to notice anything else. He bit his lip in concentration as his thumbs flew over the buttons, "I'm going to beat you because I'm playing as Gohan!"_

_Trunks shook his head, "Maybe it works that way in real life, but in this game Gohan is pretty weak..."_

_"EVERYONE!_ _IT'S A GIRL!" yelled Gohan, bursting forth from the operating room with a tiny bundle in his arms and a huge smile on his face. "I HAVE A BABY GIRL! Look, mom! Dad! You've got a little granddaughter."_

_Goku looked away from the hospital vending machine for the first time in an hour and made a sound of impressed delight, "Wow! Gohan, she's amazing! Look at those tiny fingers. She's smaller than you were!"_

"_Oh! What a darling," commented Chi-Chi, rushing to her son and fawning over the baby. She sighed in contentment and went to the hospital door that Gohan had just exited, poking her head inside and yelling, "Nice work, Videl! But can you push the next one out a little faster?"_

"_Thanks, Chi-Chi," came the weak reply, "But I am never _eve_r doing that again! I'd rather fight Majin Buu!"_

_"Oh my stars!" said Mr. Satan blissfully, "My little Videl has gone and created an angel."_

"_I knew it! I knew it!" squealed Bulma, bouncing the blue-haired toddler she held in her own arms, "A sweet little saiyan girl to play with my pretty little saiyan girl. It's perfect! Come and meet your new friend, Bra!"_

_The year-old baby in Bulma's arms gurgled in excitement, not fully understanding what was going on. At this point Bra was able to take a few wobbly steps, but she still preferred to be carried everywhere against her mother's chest._

"_Isn't she wonderful, boys?" asked Gohan excitedly, displaying the little girl, "Goten, she's your new niece!"_

"_She's so wrinkly and small, Gohan," remarked Goten, scratching his head. "I thought Bra was an ugly baby, but I guess they're all like that."_

_Trunks stared at the little face curiously, "Wow, she's cool, Gohan! Now you get to be a dad and tell her what to do! You can set a curfew and punish her when she misbehaves!"_

"_Pan's going to be a really good girl and she's never going to do anything wrong!" said Gohan, far too optimistically._

_"Goten! As an uncle, you can also tell her what to do!" Trunks informed his friend. "You can even make her do your chores!'_

_"Wow, really Trunks? That's what an uncle does?" asked Goten, intrigued. "I think I like my new niece! Will she also make me lemonade when it's hot?"_

_"Yeah!" said Trunks, getting excited, and tossing his video game away. "She'll have to make me lemonade too, of course, because I'm best-friends with her uncle! I'll be kind of like her co-uncle so I can make her do stuff too!"_

_"Boys," Gohan frowned, "You'll both have to be really nice to Pan. I won't let you order her to make lemonade..."_

"_Oh, is that her name, sweetie? Pan?" asked Chi-Chi, "What a lovely..."_

"_THIS IS FUCKING PREPOSTEROUS!" shouted Vegeta, who had just entered the room. He had been chomping on a donut, but he tossed it aside angrily and stalked over to Gohan._

"_Vegeta!" scolded Gohan, "I don't want her first words to be curses, so can you please try..."_

"_Do you feel that Kakkarot?" Vegeta fumed, pointing at the baby._

"_Oh, what?" asked Goku with his mouth full, having caught Vegeta's donut in midair and instantly begun eating it._

"_SHE IS STRONGER THAN MY DAUGHTER!" yelled Vegeta. "She is a damned newborn and her ki is higher than Bra's! Impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!"_

"_Oh, I see!" said Goku with a laugh. "But it's too soon to tell, really. We'd have to see them fight to know for sure! Besides, Bra totally has the advantage right now. She can almost walk and weighs about twenty pounds while Pan only weighs about four! She can't even crawl yet. It wouldn't be a fair fight."_

"_Do you find THIS AMUSING, KAKKAROT?" Vegeta yelled, scowling, and pointing at Pan again. "Is it FUNNY to you that this THING has MORE POWER THAN __**MY**__ DAUGHTER?"_

"_Quit yelling, Vegeta!" said Gohan angrily, "You're going to scare her!"_

_But the baby Pan had only looked at Vegeta intently with her dark round eyes. She reached out of her blanket and grabbed the finger that he had pointed at her. She stared at the finger curiously, her little nose twitching before she pulled it down to her mouth._

_Vegeta turned to her in surprise. He stared at her for a second before his lips twitched. Then he broke into a smile, and pulled his hand away from the baby, "She's definitely related to _you_, Kakkarot. Not even a few minutes in the world and she's already trying to eat everything in sight."_

_Everyone laughed and a preteen Goten clutched his growling stomach._

"_I'm hungry, too!" complained Goten. "If someone buys me a few burgers, I promise I'll give the pickles to my new niece."_

"_Babies can't eat pickles, stupid," said Trunks. "Pickles would make Pan sick."_

"_Really? Oops... I give Bra my pickles every time I come over to your house. Is she going to get sick?"_

"_That's different," Trunks explained, "She's a little older."_

"_Come on, boys," growled Vegeta, "I'll buy you both burgers."_

"_YES!" they shouted in unison._

Trunks chuckled as the memories danced through his mind. "It's ridiculous that Pan would ever be scared of my dad."

"So what's going on?" asked Goten. "Why are they being so hardcore? This is far too intense to be jealousy over you and Medea. Is something wrong which we don't know about?"

Trunks shook his head, "Well, either something's wrong or Pan is going clinically insane."

"What do you mean?" asked Goten with panic and worry in his voice.

"I walked into the infirmary earlier and I saw Pan sitting on the floor and crying. She was talking with Giru about Goku as though she'd just seen him and he'd given her some sort of instructions. So she's either going crazy or... Goku was warning her about something."

"My dad?" asked Goten, standing up abruptly on the roof. "Pan saw my dad? Why didn't you tell me this? What did he say to her?"

"Relax, man!" said Trunks, holding up both palms to soothe his overly anxious friend. "I don't think she really saw him..."

"Trunks, this is serious!" shouted Goten. "I need to know what is making them fight LIKE THAT!"

"What's going on here, boys?" spoke a stern voice from below. Gohan had exited his home upon sensing his daughter engaged in deadly combat, and now he addressed Trunks and Goten in the same tone he had used when they were both five years old. When Goten turned to address his older brother, Gohan forgot for a moment that Goten was no longer a child sucking on his thumb and whining, _"Gohan! Trunks is being mean to me."_

Goten frowned and spoke in a surprisingly adult voice, "He said that Pan saw dad."

Gohan paused before turning away from his brother and looking to the sky, his face expressionless. "I'm not surprised. It's times like these when we really need him."

"Gohan?" asked the younger Son in confusion. "What's going on?"

"If you concentrate hard enough, you'll be able to sense it." Gohan sent them a look before turning and walking back into his home. "You two should be training too. We should all be training as hard as Pan and Vegeta are."

"Wow. He's serious," muttered Trunks. "Can you sense anything?"

Goten paused for a moment to concentrate, but his shoulders immediately relaxed, "No, nothing. Pan and Vegeta are so powered up right now that I can't sense anything but them. Except maybe..."

Goten's eyes flitted to the west briefly, and for a moment he looked exactly like Goku in the midst of a serious battle. "Maybe... no, nothing."

He laughed and scratched the back of his head to ease the tension. Trunks smiled "Well, Gohan suggested we train. Are you up for it?"

"Always!" said Goten, crouching down into a battle stance on the roof.

"Let's see if you can raise your power level as high as your little niece can!" Trunks mocked.

"Let's see if you can raise yours high enough for you to not be an embarrassment to your father!" retorted Goten.

"Boys!" shouted Chi-Chi, sticking her head out the window. "Don't you dare fight on the roof! Go off into the woods where you can't damage anything!"

"Yes, mom," replied Goten meekly, lifting off the roof and flying towards the woods obediently.

Trunks followed, shaking his head sadly, "You're such a momma's boy. It's pathetic."

"You're the perfect person to judge me for that, aren't you, Trunks?" Goten snorted with laughter, "Mommy's little CEO!"

"At least I don't have my mother bring me breakfast in bed," countered Trunks, mimicking, "Oh, is my little Goten-poo hungry?"

Goten glared at him, "Doesn't Bulma still spank you on the bottom? Don't you still pretend it hurts so she'll keep going?"

"Ha! At least I didn't CHOOSE to live with my mother instead of a beautiful young girl," Trunks retorted, dropping into a fighting stance, "Did you have a problem downstairs or something, Goten? Couldn't satisfy a saiyan woman?"

"Fuck you. At least I didn't cheat on her!" Goten spat, powering up to Super Saiyan. "Let's fight, you stupid dick."

* * *

_I should have had that cherry soda... why didn't I? I'm so thirsty. Dende, I need water so badly. But Vegeta hasn't slowed down and I won't either. I'm only just starting to... actually enjoy this._

With the realization that she was enjoying the battle, Pan found herself moving suddenly almost twice as fast, flying circles around her mentor and landing punches and kicks faster than ever before. She felt pure freedom. She felt delirious delight in the movement, in the violence.

_This is my second wind. I feel myself losing control, and somehow my power is increasing. I have to keep pushing it. Kami, I wish I could reach Super Saiyan 3... it's like my body knows how, since I've been there before as Para, but I just can't do it on my own._

An aura surrounded Vegeta as he powered up and launched himself at her, and she quickly put herself on the defence.

_Kami, what I wouldn't give for a cold refreshing beverage. Would it be lame if I used instant transmission to teleport back to Bra and chugged about five bottles of water and shoved some ice down my gi before resuming the fight? Yes. That would totally be cheating and Vegeta would mock me for being weak for the rest of my life._

Then she saw it. A flicker in Vegeta's dark eyes. A green flicker. She knew what it meant, and it gave her a shiver of excitement. The heat was getting to him too, and he was also very dehydrated. Perhaps more than she was. His Super Saiyan 4 form was draining his energy faster than her form. He used it so rarely these days that he must be unaccustomed to fighting in it. His body also required more food and drink to sustain his energy than hers did.

Being part human was actually an advantage for once! For all that she already felt every breath rubbing her throat raw for how dry her mouth was, she was ever so slightly less dehydrated than he was. Her body was holding onto its moisture better.

She saw the opening and took it.

"Hey Vegeta, it's really bright here, isn't it?"

He growled, glaring at her through squinting eyes, "Next time you teleport us to the desert inferno from hell, could we stop by Roshi's and steal his sunglasses first?"

"I don't see what help they would be against a..." Pan snapped her hands up to her face with fingers extended. "SOLAR FLARE!"

As soon as he was blinded, she launched a barrage of energy attacks. She didn't intend to harm him as much as she did to surround him with the constant heat of exploding ki blasts to dehydrate him even further.

"YAH YAH YAH YAH YAH YAH YAH YAH YAAAAHHHH!" she shouted, pumping her hands back and forth quickly to fire the ki bullets. She would have liked to give it all she had, but she needed her last bit of energy desperately to hold onto consciousness.

When the smoke cleared, Pan felt like doing a little victory dance. She did one mentally, since her body couldn't nearly muster the energy to fight, much less dance. Vegeta was in Super Saiyan 3. He could no longer sustain his final transformation. The older saiyan rested his hands on his knees, with his gigantic shoulders heaving.

"Girl, do you want us to both die from dehydration? We are both fighting clumsily. We're hardly able to move. Teleport us back to Earth now, or we may perish in this heat."

"You're only... saying that, because I'm winning..." she argued. She stepped toward him, contemplating how she was going to seal this victory.

Vegeta dropped out of Super Saiyan 3, which was his least favourite form. He never fought in it, for he found it much too demanding in comparison to Super Saiyan 2, which he now resumed. Pan felt further excitement when she felt his power level drop significantly. Was she actually going to win this fight? Maybe. If she could land the perfect finishing blow, sometime soon. But what? What did she have the energy left for?

"Pan, don't be ridiculous," said Vegeta gasping. "How much longer can you even stay on your feet?"

As he spoke, she was falling to her knees. She hadn't even realized it until a few seconds later when her dizziness cleared. Her knees had gently hit the sand, followed by her upper body. She blinked a few times, trying to remember where she was.

There was a strong hand on her shoulder and dark masculine eyes were looking down on her authoritatively. Dark eyes? But shouldn't they be green? She realized that she had been out for a few minutes. Both Vegeta and herself were no longer Super Saiyan.

"Teleport us back. Now."

Pan nodded, the only image in her mind being that of water. Cool, fresh, delicious water. She raised two fingers to her forehead and concentrated on the energy signals she felt from Earth. Trunks and Goten were easy to find. _They must have been sparring, _she thought to herself as she initiated the teleport.

Instantly she found herself falling. Soon her mouth was full of sand. She rolled the granules of sand around on her tongue hopefully, but there was no water between the painfully arid particles.

"What the hell, girl?" growled Vegeta, who had been similarly dumped into the sand next to her.

"Not... working," she muttered in confusion, spitting out the sand.

"Thank you for stating the obvious. WHY isn't it working?"

"I'm drained of energy," she admitted shamefully. "Can you transfer some of yours to me?"

"Some of mine?" he repeated, "Does it look like I have much energy to spare?"

Pan sighed, "We need to get to the oasis so we can both get water."

"THERE'S AN OASIS HERE?" roared Vegeta. "Don't you think that would have been pertinent information to give me before you fainted?"

"I was trying to be tough."

"You were being DUMB, child!"

"I think it's that way," she said, feebly pointing.

The older saiyan picked her up and roughly tossed her over his shoulder before walking in the direction she had indicated.

His swaying steps made Pan's dizziness return, and she felt consciousness slipping away again.

_Bra, _she thought faintly, trying to communicate with her friend through the millions of miles of space that separated them. _I really screwed up here. What made me think I could win against your dad?_

* * *

Bra decided that it was the perfect moment to have some private girlish pampering. Some alone-time.

Everyone seemed busy doing something. Pan and Vegeta were sparring, Goten and Trunks were sparring, her mother was doing something boring at the lab, and Marron and Uub were... well, they were engaged in their regular activities, and Bra certainly didn't need to listen in on _that_!

She poured her favourite jasmine-scented bubble bath into her spa-sized bathtub as it filled with the hottest steaming water possible. A plethora of luxurious bubbles were foaming to the top of the tub by the time she pulled off her bathrobe and stepped in. Her hair was clipped up messily on the top of her head as she leaned her head back on the edge of the tub.

"Ahhhh. Life is good. Very good."

Her eyes closed and a small smile came to her lips as she spoke this. She felt all the tension in her body slipping away, and felt the delightful sensation of her eyelids becoming heavy and fluttering closed.

It had been ages since she'd taken a break from listening in on everyone else's mind. She hadn't experienced much pain in her lifetime since being a saiyan made her unusually healthy, but since exiting the Time Chamber she had been experiencing almost constant small, nagging dull headaches. Being able to hear so many different waves of thought was kind of challenging to manage.

She didn't want to miss anything that might be important that anyone was thinking at any time. Even while she was sleeping, she dreamed of other people's thoughts. Mostly Goten's. Most mornings when she woke up, she felt like crying because she'd just had some beautiful intimate dream of being with Goten. She expected to wake up beside him, and was still shocked when she found he wasn't there. The intensity of their connection hadn't faded in the least.

And as long as she could still feel him dreaming about her, thinking about her, and loving her, she couldn't really allow herself to stop loving him. She would never truly understand why he'd left her the way that he had, even now that she could get inside his mind. It was all very frustrating, and she preferred to not think about it at all, and just to enjoy her bath.

Bra lifted her arms to rest on either side of the tub and sighed. The bathwater had cooled off a bit since she'd first stepped in, so she raised her ki to heat it back up. She smirked at the wondrous things she could do with her newfound power.

_I left Bra because I knew it was the best thing I could do for her. So don't you dare act superior to me!_

Bra opened one eye. Would his voice EVER stop creeping into her head?

_I am superior to you. I'm not a clueless idiot like you. How could you do that to her?_

_Bra's probably way over it by now, if she ever really cared to begin with. She's calm and fine, but Pan's still angry! That's because what you did to Pan was a thousand times worse._

She opened the other eye, staring at the fleur-de-lis patterning on her steel-blue ceramic bathroom tiles.

_Just because my sister didn't freak out and go insane like Pan did doesn't mean she didn't get HURT, Goten! You know her better than that. You know she just bottles it all up inside..._

She groaned and slipped under the water, as though the water (and thick layer of bubbles) would drown out the thoughts. She shut her eyes tightly, as though it might help.

_Bra, I really screwed up here._

Her eyes opened underwater. A thought addressed directly to her in a feminine voice, from the one person who knew that she would hear it. She was needed.

* * *

Goten was really pissed off.

Luckily for Trunks, it was clouding his friend's judgement. Goten had never been an emotional fighter, but all Trunks had to do was throw a few insults at Goten regarding Bra, and the younger man would lose it.

"I don't know how my sister ever put up with your bullshit, Goten. That's all I hear when you open your mouth. Filthy stinking bullshit."

"At least I didn't go chasing after her and making her life hell, you fucking moron!" Goten made a mistake and Trunks landed a punch in his face.

"You should have. You should be chasing her right now! You still love her, and you never stopped loving her. It's plain to me."

"Stop talking about Bra! You don't know what the hell you're talking about, Trunks. So shut the fuck up and try and keep up with the fight." Goten kneed Trunks in the stomach.

The men were evenly matched, blow for blow. They knew each other's fighting styles as well as their own, having grown up fighting almost daily. They could read what the other would do from the slightest motion. Trunks knew that he had to throw Goten off psychologically in order to win.

"My baby sister, man. The one person you promised you would never EVER fuck with."

Goten briefly closed his eyes, "Trunks, you don't..."

"BURNING ATTACK!"

Goten tried to block the sphere, but it was too late. He was sent hurtling to the ground by his friend's energy sphere, and massive damage was inflicted on his body from the explosion. Emotions were becoming cumbersome to him: they rendered him unable to access his natural fighting skill. It was going to be a very rough spar.

* * *

Have you ever noticed how delicious water tastes when you're really thirsty? How it's suddenly the most divine tasting liquid that has ever touched your lips?

Pan found this as she ran her tongue over her chapped lips and collected the stray droplets. Vegeta had crudely (or perhaps, mercifully) awoken her with a splash of water to the face. After registering that it was what she most needed, and tasting it, she crawled to the water's edge and stuck her face in the pond and began to suck up a gallon's worth of the precious stuff.

When her stomach felt like it was going to burst, she sat up, gasping for breath. She noticed Vegeta sitting on the ground not far away. Pan wiped the water from her face with the back of her hand, suddenly feeling very much like an animal at a watering hole. This was no way to appear before the Prince.

"You're still too weak to teleport us," Vegeta observed.

She didn't want to admit it. She didn't want to have to agree. She gave the slightest nod.

"Why were you concealing so much power from me, Pan? You grew much stronger in the time chamber than you revealed to me."

She nodded again, bringing handfuls of water to her face before answering him, "It's too draining to fight at full strength. It's easier to have my ass kicked at 70% than to exhaust myself getting to 100% just to lose against you anyway."

"Then I suppose the real question is why did you choose to expose your power now?"

She imagined Goku's face. She looked out at the water, remembering the last time she had been in this little oasis. Thirteen years ago, with her grandfather and Trunks.

Vegeta prodded again, breaking the silence, "Is it because you were angry about Trunks' new girlfriend?"

Pan made a face and laughed.

"Pan?"

"Yeah, sure. That's the reason."

Vegeta growled and phased in front of her, "Who do you think taught you about sarcasm, girl? You will not use that tone with me."

She looked up at him, her eyes flashing jade, "And you will not speak down to me. You may be stronger than me and older than me, but that doesn't mean I have to take your trash talking, Vegeta."

"No," he said, glancing at her golden hair, "You have to take my trash talking because I'm your Prince."

Pan squared her shoulders and arched her back as a golden aura surrounded her, "I was born on the Planet Earth. I'm mostly human. I don't know what exactly you're the 'prince' of, but it's NOT ME!"

Vegeta glared at her as she rapidly powered up. Normally when insulted and challenged he would retort and prepare to fight back, but this was going too far.

"Pan, calm down and teleport us home."

She continued to raise her energy and shook her head, "No. Let's keep going."

"You're joking, right girl?"

"I was just a little thirsty. I'm good to go again."

Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her ascend to the second level yet again. _Foolish earthling women!_ He thought to himself.

"Pan, you weren't just thirsty. You were unconscious for several hours as I walked across the desert in search of this oasis. You were nearly dead due to dehydration and loss of blood. You need to get your head on straight and realize when you've reached your limits."

Pan reached out her hands and gazed at them as she flexed her fingers powerfully. The simple movement caused electricity to crackle in the air.

"I thought that's how it was done, Vegeta."

"What, child?"

"Zenkai."

"Where did you hear about Zenkai?"

"I've listened to every word ever said by you, grandpa, and papa. Saiyan genetics allow the special ability to grow even more powerful than before after recovering from nearly mortal wounds."

Vegeta slowly nodded.

"I used the technique quite a few times in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and find it very rewarding. Every increase is exponential. I heard that Zenkai was responsible for helping you and Grandpa beat many enemies, especially Frieza."

"That's true," said Vegeta. "So are you saying you intentionally held back in that fight so that you would take more damage?"

"No," Pan shook her head. "I was fighting at full capacity. What I'm saying is that I won't collapse as easily this time."

She exhaled, feeling the new power course through her, "I also heard that the longer a saiyan fights the stronger they become, although at first it seems like a paradox. It probably has something to do with the body's metabolism becoming acclimatized to the higher output of energy."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me the truth! Don't I feel stronger, Vegeta?" she asked, with a very carefree Son grin.

Vegeta felt a smile hijack his own lips. For a moment her tough exterior had faded and he saw a young girl seeking his approval. He would give it to her in the only way he could: by fighting her. And by kicking her ass again.

He dropped his hands to his side and began to power up to Super Saiyan 4. He felt the way a scientist might feel upon receiving the Nobel Prize, or a journalist upon receiving a Pulitzer. He felt the way an actor might feel upon receiving an award for their performance. The way a parent feels when watching their child graduate.

He clenched his fists as the white energy of exhilaration swirled around him. There was nothing else he could do now but continue fighting with the passion and skill he'd inherited, learned and discovered. With the techniques he'd already demonstrated and taught the generations after him. Whether or not they would win or lose the upcoming battle, he felt strangely fulfilled.

"I've trained you well."

"You're supposed to compliment me, not yourself!"

"I'll compliment you if you can survive the second wave," he said, as his golden hair turned black and he achieved his final transformation again.

_So you're willing to taste death for power? Zenkai. That is admirable. Kakkarot would be proud of you, Pan. But it's not nearly enough yet._

* * *

Perfectly arranged deep forest-green tresses were all tossed over a single massive shoulder as powerful neck muscles swivelled the finely chiselled face atop them.

A man of colossal height and stature cocked his head to the side. He held extremely still for several moments, as though listening to something that no other in the room could hear.

"Sire?" came a male voice, and the giant man held up a finger in a smooth, rapid, and commanding movement. The hall quieted down once more. There was a ring of polished black metal around the man's index finger, which shone in the dim light of the hall.

His deep violet eyes flicked to the east and lingered there intently.

"Sire, did you hear the question?" asked the man again, hesitantly.

The violet eyes did not waver from their distant gaze. Instead, deep olive skinned eyelids squinted closer around them, narrowing the exposure of the eyes to small slits. The result was that the angular face took on an extremely concentrated expression, and it had the effect of rendering everyone around the man very unsettled.

A soft feminine voice lilted through the quiet room, piercing through the man's concentration with its clarity:

"My dear Lord Zvarin, is everything alright? Do you not wish to proceed?"

The angular chin and stormy violet eyes snapped back to their initial position. The gleaming green hair repositioned itself perfectly around the man's shoulders. He stared directly at the woman, with a look so disconcerting that she took a small step backwards.

"Certainly," he answered. "Let us proceed."

The man who had spoken before cleared his throat before asking the question again, "Lord Zvarin, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, and to rule beside you as your queen?"

There was a long silence, and the woman who stood opposite from Zvarin at the altar began to lose her composure slightly. Her shoulders began to shake in apprehension. She instinctively felt that something was wrong. The giant man had shut his olive eyelids over his violet eyes, and thick green eyelashes sat splayed against his cheeks.

After the silence had extended far longer than was appropriate, the woman glanced around at the gathered audience. The people gathered there sent her perplexed and curious looks, but no one dared to make a sound.

She grew impatient yet again and parted her painted lips to speak once more, "My dear Lord Zvarin..."

The green-haired warrior's eyes snapped open and he roared, "Absolutely not!"

A murmur went up from the crowd as the bride stepped backwards again in horror. "But..."

The one called Zvarin raised his ringed index finger in a smooth, rapid, and conclusive movement, pointing it at the beautiful young woman. A dark red beam shot out of his finger and pierced directly through the woman's chest.

Everyone at the congregation gasped as they saw the look of shock and horror on her face as the crimson beam exited her body through her back. She crumpled to the floor lifelessly. Zvarin lowered his index finger with its black metallic ring, and rested his hand gently at his side.

"Sire," spoke the man who had been conducting the ceremony in nervous shock. "What have you done? You just killed your..."

"You have failed me," announced Zvarin, calmly. "You told me this woman was the most powerful woman in the universe, but she evidently was not."

"My Lord!" cried out a man from not far away, in a rather hysterical tone. "That was my daughter! She fought hundreds of the most skilled female fighters in all the seven galaxies for the honor of standing beside you as your wife!"

"This was a grave error on the part of my administration," said Zvarin, glaring at the men closest to him. "They should have searched more galaxies."

With that, Zvarin turned and marched out of the room with angry, long strides.

"Sire!" called out another man, running after Zvarin. "She really was a strong woman. She was the best we were able to find!"

"Truly? She couldn't even take that pathetic death beam. I need a bride who can handle more than just my index finger."

"But sire! There is no such woman in all the seven galaxies."

Zvarin stopped walking, and the man who had been running after him crashed into his back and fell.

"Then evidently, I need to extend my search to more galaxies. I can feel the energy of a more powerful woman fighting right now in the distant East. It's very, very far away. But if she exists, then there are many. I will not settle for second best. I wish to marry the most powerful woman in the Universe. It is what I deserve. My match, my equal, my counterpart! Do you understand this?"

"Yes. Of course, Sire."

"Now leave me alone! Let me be. I must meditate."

Zvarin exited the hall and entered a darkened private room. He stalked to the window, and crossed his arms slowly and carefully across his broad chest.

From what he could sense, there were two impressive fights occurring in one extremely distant section of the universe. None of the fighters were strong enough to truly pose him a threat, although the strongest fighter was rather formidable. He didn't really care to interfere in the business of such distant and weak beings, except for the one element which piqued his curiosity and interest:

One of the energy signals belonged to a woman.

He had not been sure of it first, but he had focused on her ki and her image had become clear to him. It boggled his mind that a female could possess such power. This woman held several tens of thousands times the power of that corpse he had almost married.

Zvarin closed his eyes and focused on the powers in the East. The more he focused, the more he could discern. They were in the direction of North-East, to be precise. Four fighters. Two separate fights, in two separate locations. Yet there were similarities in the energies of these fighters, as though they might be related. Two lesser powers, having a serious, but not-so-serious battle... and two immense powers dangerously testing each other's limits. Zvarin felt slightly jealous. He hadn't participated in a fight like that in far too long.

The female was the second most powerful energy signal.

Zvarin opened his eyes.

"Who is she?"

* * *

"When are you going to admit that you were FUCKING WRONG?" Trunks shouted, as he charged up the energy ball.

Goten was kneeling and gasping for breath, clutching an injured shoulder. He couldn't help thinking about how Trunks always had been and still was stronger than him. He couldn't believe he'd slipped so much over the years. It seemed he would just have to accept that even though his father had been slightly stronger than Trunks' father, he could not achieve the same strength. He would never even match a fraction of Gohan's power. He sadly thought to himself, _I guess I'll always be just the second son_. He knew the blast would knock him out and mean yet another victory for his older friend.

Suddenly, a masochistic thought struck him. _I deserve worse_. As he felt the vibrations in the air around him from the fast moving blast, he relaxed. He stopped bracing himself off the ground, and lowered his arms to his sides. He wouldn't try to send a Kamehameha up at the wave Trunks was sending. He wasn't strong enough to combat it, and he only had one working arm. He might as well... just lie back and let the blast hit him.

Was it enough to kill him? He was already pretty sorely beaten. Did it matter?

_I deserve this, _he thought again, feeling an unfamiliar surge of hopelessness in his chest. _For being the worst asshole in history... I deserve to be cooked alive by my best friend. The man who could have been my brother._

"GOTEN!" yelled Trunks, his hands frozen in place. He noticed his friend lying motionless on the ground, and he panicked. Why wasn't Goten defending? This was a pretty big blast... and... Trunks felt his heart skip a beat as realization hit him. Goten was too weak to take it. He'd overestimated his friend's condition. Trunks tried to control the ki blast and divert it from its path, but it was too late.

Goten stared into the blinding light daringly, as though encouraging it to hurt him beyond reparation. When it was almost upon him he closed his eyes. Those few seconds of it heading towards him felt like an eternity. Maybe this was what one's final moments felt like. Would he see his father again?

_GOTEN! It's going to hit you! Get out of there, man!_

Suddenly, Goten realized what he was doing. Relaxing and letting a blast hit him instead of giving his body a fighting chance. His eyes snapped open as the heat of the explosion reached him, and he felt his body paralyzed by shame and shock. Emotions again. It was all over.

Goten gritted his teeth and reflexively closed his eyes again. He waited for the impact.

It never came.

There was a deafening sound, and he winced, expecting the pain that went along with the explosion, but the pain never came. He peeked open one eye a few seconds later and saw billows of thick white smoke from the blast. Well! The ki blast had hit something. Had Trunks flown in front of the blast?

_Thanks man, I owe you one, _Goten communicated to his friend who was probably obscured somewhere within the cloud of smoke.

_Kami! Goten, are you alright? It wasn't me._

_Then who..._

The smoke began to clear to reveal a pair of scarlet red leather high-heeled boots. Goten swallowed. As more smoke cleared, he was able to catch glimpses of the creamy skin of perfect thighs. His eyes stared at the wisps of smoke angrily, almost as though he intended to intimidate the smoke away from her body.

A ruby red leather miniskirt that was almost too short to be legal was the next bit of candy for his eyes. From his position on the floor he could easily see up her skirt, and he saw a pair of matching panties. He could not yet even see half of her body, but what little could see made parts of his wounded body tingle to life.

_My heroine, _he thought, as his eyes drank in her form. _My Supergirl._

More of the thick smoke wafted away to reveal blue strands dancing in the wind and caressing milky white shoulders.

_My angel, _he thought, as her silhouette became clear to him amidst the white fog. _My own innocent angel... in dominatrix red leather._

Bra's head snapped around to look at him. The motion caused more smoke to clear, revealing that she was standing in a posture with one arm extended to easily block the ki blast with the palm of her hand.

When her piercing blue eyes met his, he felt his insides melting while his body seemed to magically gain strength. He found himself sitting up when moments before he had been unable to move. Just looking at her stirred his ki to life. _Kami, the sight of her does such things to me. I bet she could wake the dead with a smile. My beloved Bra._

He thought he saw her hard expression soften before she turned away from him. Trunks was landing on the ground close to them, and she addressed him.

"Hi, Brother. I need a spaceship."

"_You_ blocked that blast?" Trunks asked in shock as he glanced down at the unharmed (well, any more than before) Goten. He had never imagined his little sister could possess such power.

"Yes. Now may I please have a spaceship? A fast one."

Trunks eyed the crater in front of Bra that stretched into the Earth's crust by at least a few miles. The earth dipped down vertically right in front of the toes of her boots. He couldn't see the bottom of it, yet there wasn't a scratch on Bra or Goten.

_Dude, she saved your ass, _said Trunks telepathically, looking quizzically at Goten.

_I know._

_I thought she would have wanted to see it burn._

_I'm confused too._

"Trunks. Do you have one?" asked Bra, beginning to tap her foot impatiently. Chunks of rock and dirt began to break off the edge of the crater and tumble down into the abyss.

"You're suddenly talking to me again?" asked Trunks suspiciously, cocking an eyebrow.

"Only because I want something from you," she retorted. "So quit gawking and help me."

Trunks reached into his pocket and pulled out a capsule box, "Why a spaceship, sis? You usually just want to borrow the convertible..."

She growled in exasperation, "Just give one to me!"

He fingered through the box, "I don't have one. It's not like it's a common item. I don't always have a spaceship in my pocket..."

"Yes, but no one carries around more useless crap than you do," she said sweetly. She took to the air, "I'll go ask mom."

"Wait." His big hand encircled the ankle of her high-heeled boot firmly, not letting her fly off. "Don't bug mom, she said she was going to sleep early. I can get you a spaceship from the labs if you really need one."

Bra looked down at him, shaking her ankle free of his grip, "Can you program it for me? I need to get to Planet Rudeeze."

"Rudeeze. Why?" Trunks looked at her suspiciously, "That's where dad and Pan are?"

"Yes."

"Why do you want to go there?"

"Pan's in one of those moods," Bra explained with a shrug. "We both know she's going to fight until she's unconscious. She's going to push herself to the maximum, dad's going to push her to the maximum, and both of them will completely forget to be practical and think of a way to get home. So, spaceship please."

Trunks squinted his eyes at his sister thoughtfully, "But it will take days for a space ship to get to planet Rudeeze."

"That's perfect," Bra answered, "Their fight should last a few days if they continue at this rate. It feels like they're both trying to kill each other."

"Dad must be loving it," mumbled Trunks, feeling slightly jealous again. But was he jealous of his dad for being with Pan, or of Pan for spending more time training with his dad than he had lately?

"So, will you help me or not, Trunks?" Bra asked again, her hands drifting up to settle on her hips in annoyance.

"Sure. I'll do it," Trunks nodded. He looked to his friend, who was still on the ground, "Goten, need a hand?"

"Please," grunted the younger man. Trunks slipped an arm under his friend's shoulder to lift him and the three saiyans flew in an awkward silence to West City.

Trunks flew into the area of the compound which they used as a launching pad. He knew that they kept newer models there along with the older-style ships that had been used to fly to Namek and on the Grand Tour. None of the new spaceships had really been tested.

"Hey Bra, can you hold this while I run some tests on the ship to see if everything's in working order?"

"Hold wha..." Bra was interrupted by her brother dumping a half-unconscious Goten onto her. Bra found her arms instinctively going around his chest to catch him, and her cheeks began to slightly blush at the compromising situation.

"Trunks!" she complained.

"It'll just be a second!" her brother explained, popping the capsule ship open. He flew around the spherical ship, examining various parts rather slowly.

"Please hurry," she said impatiently, frowning. The blush in her cheeks was deepening as Goten moaned a little and his head rolled against her shoulder.

Trunks grinned, "Let me just program it up for you, sis."

She could hear her brother's thoughts. He was doing this on purpose. Making her hold Goten on purpose!

"Damn you, Trunks!" she yelled as her sibling entered the ship.

Trunks stuck his head back out of the ship's door, "Bra, are you sure I shouldn't just go and get them myself? I already know how to fly this ship, so it might make more sense..."

"It's _my_ dad and _my_ friend up there," Bra answered, "I'm going."

"Hey... he's my father and she's my friend too," Trunks insisted.

"Look, Trunks. If Pan is really, really injured, she's not going to let you take care of her. I think she'd probably sooner die than let you touch her."

"Good point. Well, I'll program the route and then take Goten off your hands," Trunks squinted down at them, "Uh, but see if you can pop his shoulder back in place."

Bra winced, turning her attention back to the dark haired man who was lifelessly draped against her body. She considered warning him that it was going to hurt, but she still didn't feel like talking to him. Yet she couldn't allow... what was Pan's phrase? "A fellow member of the Earth's Special Forces" to be injured, and to not offer assistance.

She firmly grasped his shoulder with one hand and gritted her teeth as she forced the joint back into position.

Goten yelled, and he gripped Bra's back tightly with his the other arm. Bra found herself, somehow, strangely, inexplicably, wiping her hand along Goten's forehead to remove the blood and sweat that he was soaked with.

She withdrew her hand and shut her eyes when she realized that it was a caring gesture. Too caring. However, she felt his warm blood dripping down over her own body everywhere there was exposed skin. She'd had plenty of his bodily fluids on her in the past, but rarely his blood. She couldn't help but feel concern for him.

"Are you OK?" she found herself asking very softly. She almost hoped he wouldn't hear her.

"Bra..." he managed to speak. "You can just... drop me on the floor... if you want to."

"No, no," she answered, "It's no problem."

"Why... are you helping me?" he asked. She felt him tighten his grasp around her. Was he using her body for stability, to keep from collapsing, or was he embracing her? She couldn't tell.

"I don't want to see you hurt," she whispered, stroking his back gently. _Not physically, Goten. It's not my style, you know. When I hurt you it will be in the exact way that you hurt me._

"Bra..." he moaned out.

She stiffened slightly... she could hear his thoughts. Was he about to tell her he loved her? That he was sorry?

"Bra, please listen..." Goten mumbled through his pain, "I... I want you to know that didn't mean to... I am an idiot... I really, really lo..."

He was interrupted by a huge roar as the spaceship beside them hummed to life and began to launch. Bra, surprised by both Goten's almost-uttered confession and the shock of a spaceship blasting off immediately beside her, was thrown off balance.

Bra felt herself sliding along the concrete floor, blown away from the ship, and staring at it in disbelief as it launched into the sky with her brother on it. Goten landed beside her, and hit his head against a concrete wall.

"I just had a strange... déjà vu..." Goten mumbled, before passing out.

Bra narrowed her eyes as she glared at the ship which was already exiting the atmosphere. She heard her brother's thoughts:

_This ought to give those two some time alone, to work out their problems._

Bra screamed up at the retreating ship "DAMN YOU TRUNKS! I HATE YOU, YOU STUPID ASSHOLE!"

She looked down at her unconscious ex-boyfriend in disgust, and grabbed one of his arms to literally drag him to the rejuvenation tank.

* * *

Vegeta slapped Pan on the face, hard. "Wake up, girl. Wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open to the stinging in her cheeks. She tried to open her mouth to speak and found that her throat was too dry.

"Water," she croaked. Immediately, she felt her whole body submerged underwater. Vegeta had shoved her into the lake of the oasis.

Pan sputtered and gasped, floundering slightly with the unexpected lack of air to breathe. She gulped several mouthfuls of the water, however, before kicking her way to the surface with legs so sore they felt like jello. She gasped for air as soon as she broke the surface, uncertain whether she thirsted for air or water more at that precise moment. Once she was able to glare at her sparring partner, she did so with all the glaring intensity she could muster.

Vegeta was always the gentleman, wasn't he?

It was becoming routine. She fought until unconscious, then as soon as she awoke she would stick her face in the water and force herself to go again. This time, however, she seriously doubted that she had anything left in her. But that was when a saiyan always found new stores of hidden power, right?

She pulled herself out of the water slowly, resting her bruised body on the shore. She lay back on the ground, watching the cliffs above spin in circles as the suns danced. She was very, very dizzy.

A figure moved into her line of sight and she saw Vegeta standing over her with his arms crossed, looking angry. She swallowed and tried to prop herself up on her elbows. The dizziness increased.

"Just... give me a moment, Vegeta. I'll be ready again... in less than a minute."

Vegeta crouched down beside her and stared into her eyes intently.

"What the hell has gotten into you, girl? Why would you suddenly want to fight like this?"

She opened her mouth before she'd decided exactly what she intended to say, and felt the lie bubbling up in her throat. Then she closed her mouth and frowned. It had become so easy and natural to lie, even when it was unnecessary... but she didn't have the energy or the purpose for it now.

Pan lowered herself to the ground and lay there for a second, summoning up her energy before she offered Vegeta the most challenging explanation. The truth.

"My dreams have been coming true."

"So? That has been known to happen," Vegeta narrowed his eyes at her. "That's nothing new. Prophetic dreams are useful as omens or warnings…"

"But I had a different dream. Grandpa came to me," she said weakly. "He gave me advice for the coming battle. He said he wanted me to train with you without holding back and also... he wants me to find a way to grow a tail."

Vegeta stared at her for a moment, blankly. Then he sprung to his feet and a bellow burst forth from his lungs.

"DAMN YOU KAKKAROT!" shouted Vegeta into the sky. "PULLING THIS SHIT AGAIN, ARE YOU?"

"What… shit, Vegeta?" she asked. She rolled over to her side and clutched her stomach as a bout of nausea hit her.

"This shit," said Vegeta in disgust, gesturing at Pan. "Oh, he's the best at it! First he throws his eleven year old son at CELL…"

"I thought papa creamed Cell," she said.

"THAT IS IRRELEVANT!" Vegeta shouted, holding his hand at the level of his knee to illustrate: "Gohan was about this tall. And to top it all off, Kakkarot gave Cell a fucking senzu bean."

Pan had heard the story, but she still closed her eyes, "Grandpa knew…"

"HE KNEW SHIT! Then Buu comes around, and he does the same thing. This time the clown throws MY eight year old son at the creature. Along with his own toddler. What does that make him other than ten flavors of insane?"

"But…" said Pan, struggling to breathe, "Trunks and Goten often say that there was a moment… when they could have defeated Buu if they hadn't been playing around so much…"

"But they WERE playing around, because they were CHILDREN. And Kakkarot got them killed! He could have saved them, but he got all of our sons killed at once with his stupidity!"

"Mistakes happen in every battle. I've even heard that you've made a few."

"What? What mistakes have I ever made? Those other idiots like to blame their own weaknesses on me, that's the damned problem..."

"You got possessed by Baby."

"Everyone got possessed by Baby. Gohan, Goten, Trunks..."

"I didn't," Pan said, pointedly. "I didn't, and neither did Grandpa Goku. Even my poor weak Grandpa Hercule didn't get possessed by Baby, and you..."

"Shut up," growled Vegeta. "Quit being disrespectful. I was talking about Kakkarot and how his mistakes resulted in millions of lives being lost..."

"But everything's fine now…" Pan said, trying to smile but managing only a crooked grimace which sent blood dripping down her chin.

"And now he's contacting you? The nerve of that insolent clown! Making you train with me until every bone in your body is broken? He obviously intends to continue his sick tradition and throw his granddaughter at whatever massive power is out there… I guess he decided that it's your turn, Pan! And even though he abandons you for decades, for two thirds of your life, he's allowed to make a decision like that?"

"He's never…" Pan had a small coughing fit.

"No. He left to invest his time in Uub instead of you. Let him haunt Uub's fucking dreams and send Uub to fight this monster if he thinks that scrawny black kid has more potential than his own flesh and blood!"

Pan recovered from her coughing fit and tried to speak again, in her tired voice. "He's never thrown me at anything, Vegeta. I put myself on the spaceship. I threw myself at every monster I could possibly attack. I threw myself at Baby when he was in your body and I didn't stand a fraction of a chance…"

"Pan, you can feel it. This power… it's not like Baby. It's not like Super Android 17. It's not like Omega Shenron."

Vegeta paused, taking a shaking breath, "It is immense and unfathomable. It's like nothing we've ever seen! You can't…"

"If grandpa thinks I can be of some help, I will try my best!" she insisted, raising her voice a little although her throat was raw from yelling during the battle. She sounded scratchy and pathetic.

"And people question MY parenting skills!" Vegeta looked up angrily at the sky again, "I MAY NOT BE A BETTER WARRIOR THAN YOU ARE KAKKAROT! BUT I AM A GODDAMNED BETTER PARENT! AT LEAST I'M HERE! IS IT SO HARD TO BE HERE?"

"Stop, Vegeta, you know he…"

Vegeta looked down at Pan and muttered under his breath, "And I'll be a damned well better grandfather too, once you finally get pregnant."

"What?" asked Pan, fairly certain she'd misheard him. She scraped at her ears to wipe away any blood that might have been muffling her hearing.

"Nothing," answered Vegeta.

She groaned and nodded, in too much pain to argue. "I'll try to conserve my energy so I can teleport us back," Pan said, wrapping her arms around herself. She was actually so feverish from loss of blood that she was managing to feel cold even on this planet with all its excessive suns.

"No."

"What?"

"You conserve your energy, because I'm going to attack you again shortly."

"What?" she gasped.

"Search for Trunks."

Pan did and felt his energy moving rapidly in their direction, "Kami, is he headed here on a spaceship?"

"Yes. The boy has half a brain. So rest before I attack you again. You have thirty minutes."

Pan felt her body twitch at the mention of the familiar span of time. She could count thirty minutes with her eyes closed. She could feel thirty minutes down to the second, no matter what was happening.

"Why thirty minutes?"

"Is that too long? Fine. You have fifteen minutes."

* * *

_**THREE DAYS LATER...**_

When Trunks arrived on Planet Rudeeze in the spaceship, he immediately flew towards the faded ki of his father. He couldn't sense Pan. He had been unable to sense her for hours and he had imagined the worst. His imagination had almost brought him to tears as he sat in the control room seat, tightly gripping the arms of the chair.

When he was close to Vegeta's faded ki, he noticed two bodies laid out in the shade of a tree by the water. Vegeta was in a sitting position against a tree while Pan was curled up in the fetal position next to him.

Trunks had rushed to pick her up in his arms before he spoke a word, and he examined her bruised body fearfully. He cradled her against his chest and glared at Vegeta.

"Kami! Dad, what the hell..."

"She's fine, boy. Let's get her to the tank."

Once Pan had been placed in the tank, Vegeta punched a few buttons on the control panel. He looked through the glass at her unconscious form, shaking his head in what resembled disapproval.

"Stupid girl," he said in a manner which Trunks identified as mildly affectionate, before walking away and climbing into his own rejuvenation tank.

Before the door could close, Trunks held it open with his hand and stared at Vegeta angrily, "Why did you beat her so badly, Dad?"

"She's using Zenkai."

"Zenkai! Why?"

Vegeta's mouth set into a firm line. "I believe Kakkarot told her to do it."

Trunks' hand dropped away from the door, allowing it to close. He bore a look of serious consternation on his face, and the father and son shared a knowing eye contact through the glass door as the green liquid filled the chamber around Vegeta.

Finally, Vegeta closed his eyes, burying himself deeply in his own thoughts._ Kakkarot, you've bested me in every way, haven't you? Even from beyond the grave. Your granddaughter is impossibly stronger than my daughter can ever be. This, although she is younger and less of a saiyan. How is that fair, old friend?_

_I know you have faith in the girl. So do I. But what is her growing a tail going to achieve? I have felt the strength of this enemy, as have you, I'm sure._

_Wherever you are, I want you to know that you should cease to be there and get your ass over here immediately. As much as I hate to admit it—YOU KNOW I HATE TO ADMIT IT—we need Gogeta for this one. And even he might not be enough, but he's the best shot we've got._

_Damn you, Kakkarot. The girl doesn't need a tail. She needs you._

_And so do I._

* * *

I promise the next chapter will be super PARA-HEAVY to compensate for the lack of Para in this one. I can't wait to hear what you all thought about the introduction of Zvarin. Anmylica encouraged me to introduce him a bit sooner than I'd intended, so you can thank her for that if you liked it! Also, I felt like we hadn't had a lot of G/B communication or interaction, so I felt like throwing a little touch in here.

All your suggestions and feedback are encouraged and appreciated! I will definitely try my best to get the next chapter out far more quickly than this one. Until then, I'll be updating my progress on Facebook... so feel free to connect with me there! =D

* * *

Thank you to the following 30 reviewers. I love you all! It took me a full day just to write these thank yous:

**marie fortune:** Awww! Your review was the first one I got, and it made my day too. I hope your birthday was wonderful, and that your friends have made it up to you for forgetting. I also hope you enjoy this chapter!

**DaBigWilliG:** One crazy all-out Pan and Vegeta fight just as you requested! Sorry if it STILL wasn't hardcore enough, OMG! Remember, they're just TRAINING and I have to leave SOME moves for the actual bad guy! =D

**Hot4DBZ: **Hehehe, your reviews always make me smile. They're so cute and excited! I am glad you liked Giru in the last chapter. All I can say about when Para will be exposed is... it's a surprise! Just trust me, I have it alllllll planned out, and it's going to be exciting and dramatic. I know, doesn't the fusion food look yummy? Let's go eat some! I'm hungry. ^-^

**Suzki:** Hehehe, oh don't worry! Pan's not really THAT flat-chested! She just has an athletic figure. I kind of imagine her breasts being exactly like mine (which are B-cups) and they always get smaller when I'm working out a lot. But regardless of size I love my breasts and they're literally the PERFECT shape and I always get lots of compliments on them. Hahaha! But we know Vegeta likes BULMA and there's no way Pan's breasts can compare to BULMA'S VOLUPTUOUS DELICIOUS BODY. But she's older now, and I can imagine that she would need a boob job... all that sex with Vegeta over decades would leave them saggy. =(

**Leecassi:** Now that I've published this, I can finally go and read your update! Grrr! Lol. OMG, don't read my story in class! Lol! You won't be able to fully enjoy it that way. I want you to laugh out loud at the parts where you want to laugh! Cry at the parts where you want to cry! I feel like I was trying to please you sexually, and even though you were feeling pleasure you were just lying there and not responding at all! OMG, don't do that! LOL! Hehehe, THANK YOU for your continuous support and awesome reviews! I hope someday we get to have nachos together at 3 AM! Sending you much love!

**Anmylica:** *flinches and ducks* Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me, please! Hehehe. Thank you for your awesome suggestions for this chapter and I hope I executed them to your liking. I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately, but I will be better. =) My life is settling down and I can dedicate more time and energy to this story and to my writing in general. You are just the absolute best. Thanks for always being there for me and helping me to stay excited about TMTH!

**Sakura Kuchiki:** What an interesting review you wrote! I love how you did a little psycho-analysis of Para's character and how she's an outlet for my personal emotions. Also, the fact that you said the girls will want to stay as Para forever... that's very astute! I hope this chapter answered SOME of your questions about the new villain! I can't wait to hear what you thought of this one. =D

**Arian:** Awww! Kisses and hugs right back at you for the LOVELIEST review ever. :D Thanks for your compliments on Vegeta's character! He is probably the hardest one to write, since I always see people making him into a complete softy, just because they can. No way! We love him for being an ass, and he needs to keep as much of that as possible. I'm glad that Giru surprised you. I live to please! I can't wait to hear what you thought of this chapter, since I think it's much more a guy-oriented action packed chappy. =D

**Jaedeon Sierra:** Pleased to hear you got past your concerns and that you're enjoying the story! Oh yes, bay scallops are wonderful! I recently had them in a delicious cheesy seafood casserole with shrimp and mushrooms that had been first sautéed in garlic butter with green onions. God, it was delicious. This may sound unrelated to the story, but food is ALWAYS related to saiyans and Dragonball Z!

**gina31486:** Your review was great! Thanks for asking about what the ki-sensing people would think about the Pan/Vegeta battle, because that question sparked a lot of ideas for this chapter. I loved hearing what you thought about the Giru moments, and how you feel about the development of Trunks' character. Sorry to make you feel impatient about Para's character being revealed. I know I'm teasing and torturing a lot with these close calls, but I really want the climax to be MORE POWERFUL because of the long build-up! Hehehe.

**kickstartmyhart:** Thanks for your feedback! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter, and your questions and ideas were super helpful. I decided NOT to let Pan go SSJ3 here (I really gave it some thought!) mainly because we never see Trunks or Goten do it individually in all of DBZ or DBGT. They physically seem to not be able to do it unless fused, and I wanted to seem true to canon. Also... Pan not going SSJ3 in this chapter makes any future female SSJ appearances in front of Vegeta and/or anyone or everyone MUCH more jaw dropping. =D

**famoso:** I am so glad you like reading Para's excuses to get out of trouble. I promise we'll have some hilarious and pretty messed up excuses pretty soon. Thanks for your comments on Giru as a child to Pan and Trunks. I was really proud of that, personally. I loved writing their relationship to him! I hope you enjoyed this one too! Can't wait to hear what you thought of it. =D

**mali86:** Thank you! Glad you liked it!

**Talk Smith Kid:** It's interesting that you bring up Bra's research on being able to be fused longer. I promise that will come into play very, very soon! I already started setting it up in this chapter a little bit, but you'll never guess. Did you try being on top? How was it? Hehe, it's my favourite position! =D

**Hanako:** Thanks for trusting me with the crazy things I do with the story! And thanks for voting on the chapter title! ^-^ I love, love, love your feedback!

**faggismcgorpis:** Sorry this update wasn't as fast! But I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!

**mumz3l-Neskouiik-Bura:** I know! The reaction that Trunks has when he realizes he slept with Bra should be very interesting. Thanks for your review! =D

**Supersaiyan2479:** Wow, look at you! You're doing a great job of posting stories so often. I haven't had a chance to catch up on reading them because life's been so busy, but I will definitely check them out soon. =D I wish you all the best with your writing and thank you for your continuous awesome feedback!

**Ashley:** I'm so glad that you find the story to be original. I always have tried to be original, but I guess it takes years of writing the same old thing to be able to confidently deviate from the standard path. Also, if I learned one skill from university, it's how to say the exact same thing in a completely new and exciting and confusing way! Hehehe. Because everyone is SO bored of "Trunks and Pan fall in love and live happily ever after."

**AnimeLover8797**: Oooh, I have your name? Hehe. And what country are you from? OF COURSE I will continue! I must finish this story at all costs!

**18katrina**: You are such a sweetheart! SUCH a sweetheart! Your reviews make me feel better than the best drug that makes people feel good could ever make anyone feel. Honestly! And I am so addicted to your lovely and encouraging reviews that I will keep posting regardless of how hectic my life gets just so I can hear what you think. =D Much love!

**jazzyfizzler**: DUDE! WHERE IS THE NEW CHAPTER OF MBS? YOU CAN'T JUST MAKE THEM HAVE SEX AND LEAVE IT LIKE THAT. YOUR FANS NEED YOU. =( Honestly though! Your T/P connection is so unique, spiritual, sexy, realistic, and fun! I WANT TO SEE AN EMAIL TELLING ME YOU UPDATED. PRONTO! But anyway, back to this... as usual your review made me laugh like crazy! Especially this: "your Vegeta is a beautiful soul!" I couldn't help but giggle at that, because I'm trying as hard as possible to make him an ass and your comments on him just crack me up! Thank you for your sweet and thorough reviews. I will definitely give you just as thorough feedback if YOU EVER UPDATE TOO. =) Just sayin'.

**The0Blind0Writer:** I never really completely revealed their master plan, only that they wanted to make the boys feel THE EXACT SAME WAY they made the girls feel. *hint hint* The revenge is a multi-step process which will still take a few chapters to execute, but I promise it will be very fitting, and just, and perfect for their respective love-crimes!

**intrinsic:** I'm so glad you found it murky, but that you appreciate it. I promise, I will make the waters clearer as soon as my artistic sensibilities allow me to do so. I just CAN'T spill the beans so early, I've spent so much time building and building it up! Hehehe. Thanks for reading, glad to have you on board! Hope you will keep up with the story!

**PaintedinAllColors:** Awww, thank you for the little voiceover advertisement reminiscent of a DBZ episode. =D I am so glad you enjoyed the Pan Fans! Hehe.

**Zi-Dawg:** I agree with you 100%. Goku is not my favourite character either, but he is DEFINITELY the most nostalgic character ever created ANYWHERE in history. He can move me to tears so easily. He can be forgiven anything. Thank you for your sensitive and interesting feedback, and I hope you will continue to read the story!

**dbzchic62789:** THANK YOU for your wonderful compliments! I really poured (and continue to pour) my heart and soul into this story. Thanks for noticing how much I research the show. =D I am so glad you found so much enjoyment out of the humorous parts! I'm not really a professional with humor, so I'm trying my absolute hardest to create the funnies! =D

**KAMI'S CHIBI TENSHI:** You know, for such a brief review you managed to make me think A LOT. Calling Pan Vegeta's "best friend" really has influenced a lot of their interaction in this chapter. I guess the words "best friend" really mean a lot to me, and hearing you write that... well, it really got my wheels working about the Vegeta/Pan relationship I've created so far and keeping it consistent, while revealing how much he cares for her, almost like a second daughter, and how much he respects her ability, since her birth. Thanks for your inspiration!

**Shahi:** Thanks for your review! Sorry for the late chapter! Trust me, I know what you mean about life being hectic. I hope yours sorts itself out and gives you more peace and relaxation in the near future! Also, thanks for voting on my chappie title!

**jukaa:** Thank you for your feedback and comments on the personalities of the fathers. I'm so glad that you think I've portrayed them in a reasonable way. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

* * *

Sending out my love to each and every one of you! Thanks for reading, and I would be eternally grateful to know what you think. =D


	17. Now or Never

_Chapter Seventeen: Now or Never_

THIS IS THE CHAPTER. The beginning of this chapter inspired me to write five whole books! My first novel is called "Drowning Mermaids" and this is where it came from. =) This scene really caused something to click in my brain, and gave birth to the Sacred Breath series. I am so proud of those novels, and I hope some of you will read them!

Other than that fun fact, this chapter is extremely emotional and was so, so difficult to write. You'll see why.

~PanHopeNvs (Nadia Scrieva)

* * *

Through the bottle-green bubbly filter, the young girl who was sprawled out drunkenly very much resembled a drowned mermaid.

_Is it even possible for a mermaid to drown? _The fascinated onlooker wondered this in confusion as bubbles lazily floated in between himself and his vision.

_Yes, of course it is. If I strangled her by the... gills._

Goten swallowed back a lump of pain in his throat as he observed the long aqua tendrils of hair messily splayed over the tabletop. She looked as though she had fallen asleep unintentionally. Her head rested on her arms, and underneath her arms were a pile of scattered fashion magazines.

_Where are a mermaid's gills anyway?_

Goten's eyes drifted down the body of the beautiful girl, all tinted green through the liquid of the rejuvenation chamber. She was wearing a long nightgown and he imagined her legs transforming into a scaly tail, the same color as her surreal hair. He imagined placing his hands on her hips and digging his fingers into the slick aqua scales.

_It's not called strangling if I press down on her gills, is it? Wouldn't it be suffocating?_

He watched her shoulders move up and down ever so slightly with her breathing, and his brow creased.

_Don't mermaids also have lungs? I think it must be impossible to suffocate or to drown them. They are magical after all._

Goten ripped the oxygen mask away from his face.

_Just like Bra. I ruined what we had together, causing her so much pain... and now she's stronger than ever. She's... my immortal mermaid._

Goten shook his head firmly to clear the hallucinations, but new images began haunting him. Stepping out of the draining tank, the liquid from the chamber dripped down his skin. He glanced down at the droplets tracing patterns over his chest, and they brought to his mind a memory he had tried very hard to forget.

"_I don't see why I keep cooking for six or seven when only four are at the table!" grumbled Chi-Chi, "Where is that girl anyway?"_

_Several sets of eyes turned toward him, and Goten coughed on a piece of meat._

"_Well, I told you Bra's working… so you must mean Panny. Why are you all looking at me?"_

"_If anyone knows what's going on with her, it's you," Videl accused, raising an eyebrow. "Spill it, Goten. Why is she missing dinner for the third week in a row?"_

"_Jufst ssfome proffblemsff wiffth Truffnks," Goten mumbled while chewing._

"_Sweetie, don't talk with your mouth full," Chi-Chi barked._

"_This isn't like Pan. I'm worried," Gohan complained._

"_My only grandchild and she doesn't show up for family dinner," mused Chi-Chi. "I wish I didn't have such a terrible shortage of grandchildren. I blame all of you. Especially you, Videl."_

"_ME?" shrieked Videl. "That is so unfair! Giving birth to one saiyan child was difficult enough. Why don't you blame the person who deserves blame at this table."_

_Videl glared at Goten, who glared back at her._

"_She does have a point," said Chi-Chi with a pout. "Goten, sweetie, when are you going to make me a darling little grandbaby?"_

_Goten growled, "Quit fucking asking me that! Never!"_

_Chi-Chi gasped. Videl frowned, "Goten! How dare you speak to your mother like that?"_

_Goten grumbled an apology, but Chi-Chi ignored him. A forlorn look came into her eyes, and she became very distant. This bothered Goten more than anything. Gohan and Goten had grown up around an angry, temperamental, lonely and distressed mother, but her quiet forbearance was an altogether different thing._

_Goten worried about her._

"_I'm sorry, mom, really, I am."_

_Chi-Chi smiled sadly, and shook her head and spoke in a very soft voice, "You're just like your father."_

_With that, she withdrew to her room, leaving Goten speechless and in a flurry of emotion._

"_What is wrong with her these days?" Goten complained to his brother and sister-in-law._

"_What is wrong with _you_ these days?" Gohan countered, narrowing his eyes at his little brother. "Since when do you snap at mom like that?"_

_Goten groaned and stood up from his chair, "I'll go speak with her."_

_Walking down the hallway, in the direction Chi-Chi had disappeared in, Goten approached a small door and knocked on it. "Mom? Is everything alright?"_

_There was no response, and Goten cracked the door open a few inches. He saw Chi-Chi seated on the edge of her bed, dragging her wide sleeve across her eyes._

"_Mom?" he asked again in surprise._

_Chi-Chi looked up at him, from eyes shining with tears, "Don't you think that poor girl knows that you have one foot out the door?"_

"_Mom..."_

"_No. I thought I raised you better than this! Why do you leave her hanging?"_

_Goten paused for a moment, and said the first thing that came to mind, "I'm not good enough…"_

"_You're a Prince, Goten."_

"_No, I'm not."_

"_Bra loves you, so it wouldn't matter either way, but you_ are_ a prince," Chi-Chi insisted, "My father was the Ox-King, and I grew up a princess. Our castle was destroyed but…"_

"_Listen, mom, that's who _you_ are. Not me. I'm just a lowly third class saiyan—not worthy of the princess of..."_

"_How dare you feed into Vegeta's bullshit? He lost everything. His KINGDOM consists of Bulma's wealth alone, in case you didn't notice. His subjects are so plentiful that I can count them on one hand. We still have lands..."_

"_Then why did you make us grow turnips and hunt our own food?"_

"_To teach you values! So that you wouldn't be spoiled like Trunks!"_

"_Gohan has all the values, mom. He's your scholar, your hero, your prince, your beloved son! I'm just a bum like dad."_

"_Yes," Chi-Chi turned away from him, speaking softly, "That poor girl. You are just like him. Please leave me alone, Goten."_

"_Mom… please don't be sad. Is there anything I can do?"_

"_Just answer this," said Chi-Chi quietly, "If you had to make a choice, and it was now or never, Goten: Would you choose to commit to her?"_

_Goten was silent for a moment before he abruptly turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him._

"_I thought so," whispered Chi-Chi, and Goten heard the words just before he blasted out of the house. His rage at her quiet hopelessness fuelled his flight even faster._

_Goten flew at top speeds through in the night sky, with no true direction, for what felt like forever. He flew at such high altitudes that he felt extremely cold, and then at even higher altitudes than that, until he felt extreme heat. Three words kept circulating in his mind as he pushed his body faster and faster:_

_Now or never._

_Goten found as his energy drained, that he fell to a normal flying altitude. He was so lost in thought that he nearly had a collision with an airplane, and he dodged out of the way at the last second. For some reason, that startled him into alertness and into taking action._

_He knew what he needed to do._

_Goten flew home. To Bra's home. He sensed for her ki, and slowly walked down the steps to her basement laboratory, where Bra was tinkering with some unidentifiable contraption. He stood watching her work in her pink lab coat. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun, and there were smudges of grease on her face and hands._

_When she noticed his presence, she smiled. "Goten! You're home already? I must have lost track of time. I just can't get this thing to work."_

_He looked down at the floor, unable to meet her eyes. "I need to talk to you."_

"_Is everything okay?" she asked, wiping her hands with a towel. She could see from his expression that it wasn't. When he didn't answer, she pulled off her lab coat and tossed it onto a chair._

"_Let me just get cleaned up first, alright? I'm covered in grease and grime."_

_Bra walked past him, and quickly climbed the flight of stairs leading out of the basement. Goten stared at her retreating feet, and followed slowly. She then scaled the second flight of stairs leading up to the master bedroom's en-suite bathroom. He continued to follow her, silently, and watched as she turned on the shower—she always let it run for a few seconds so the water could get warm before she stepped in. As she hummed lightly, and moved to slip off her blouse, Goten moved forward and grabbed her wrist._

_She turned to him in surprise._

"_Bra… I need you. Right now."_

"_I…"_

_She forgot what she had been about to say as she felt her clothes torn off of her in an instant. They went falling to the floor along with her cell phone which had been in one of her pockets, and now slid across the bathroom tiles._

_Goten advanced on her, pushing her backwards into the shower stall until her back was pressed against the tiles, with the stream of water soaking both of them. He crushed his lips to hers, grinding his fully clothed body into her naked one and furiously kneading her breasts with his hands._

"_Goten!" she gasped, as his angry, passionate kisses covered her cheeks and neck. She felt his teeth graze her, and had the fleeting impression he was trying to devour her skin. She let herself relax in the familiar feeling of his hands roaming her body, massaging the places she most loved to be touched. She murmured softly, "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I like it."_

_He growled and pulled at his belt buckle clumsily. The buckle ripped clean off the leather belt, and Goten tore at the front of his pants, causing a rip down the middle parallel to the zipper. He wasn't wearing any undergarments, so his erection immediately popped out of his pants._

_Bra reached forward to feel Goten's member, but she felt him grasp her hand and pin it to the wall. Locks of dripping dark wet hair hung over Goten's eyes, concealing his emotions from view._

"_Goten?" she asked softly in confusion. She was startled when he reached down and grabbed behind her thigh, pulling her leg up and hooking it around his waist. His erection rubbed tantalizingly against her vulva, which had been exposed by the new angle of her hips._

_She stifled a moan of pleasure when she glimpsed the crazed look in his eyes as his dark lashes blinked away droplets of water from the shower. Were they from the shower? It occurred to her that something was terribly wrong, and Goten was using sex to avoid the problem._

_He held onto her so tightly, so desperately, that she felt a bit of fear stir within her heart. When his lips descended on her face again for more passionate kisses, she imagined she tasted the slightest bit of saltiness in the water sliding over her lips._

"_Go—" she began, but she was cut off by him entering her. The surprise and brief initial pain were quickly overshadowed by the all-consuming pleasure as Goten firmly grasped her thigh and forced her body into the wall with the pounding of his hips. She found herself unable to control her moans, or to do anything but clutch at him tightly with her free hand as he hammered himself into her._

_The warm water from the shower caressed both of them as they gasped together from the euphoric spell of the lovemaking. Bra couldn't help but feel secure in his embrace. Her eyes were closed as she let her consciousness drift away on waves of ecstasy. She sometimes wondered how she had lived before these moments. She sometimes wondered if she lived only for these moments. Goten began to grunt and quicken his pace as he approached his climax, and Bra felt herself almost screaming with the intensity of the sensations._

_With a few final, carnal thrusts, he spilled his seed inside of her._

_They remained unmoving in each other's embrace for what felt like several minutes, with their bodies still connected. Bra had let her head fall limply against Goten's chest as the shower washed away the sweat and bliss from their bodies. Both of their breathing synchronized, and their individual heartbeats assumed a perfectly harmonious beat. It was simply the epitome of comfort._

_Except for the fact that tears were sufficiently gushing from Goten's eyes. Bra could not have known this, for they had blended with the water of shower. Goten's emotions had sought a location where they could camouflage themselves into their surroundings and quietly go about undetected._

_After some time, when he felt he could speak without his voice breaking, he spoke._

"_Bra," he began. For the first time in several minutes, his breathing was no longer synchronized with hers. He was holding his breath._

"_Mmmm?" she murmured softly, snuggling against his chest._

"_It's over between us."_

_Bra's hand had been absently stroking his back, and it paused in mid-stroke, "What?"_

_Goten abruptly pulled out of her, and dropped her leg. His warmth being ripped away from her insides was devastating. She stumbled back against the wall, slightly off balance without his support, and mentally knocked off balance by the words she thought she'd heard. She stared at him, trying to understand._

_He repeated it, slowly. "I'm leaving you."_

"_What?" she said again, dumbstruck. She almost felt as though this was a joke, and she was yet awaiting the punch line._

"_I came here tonight to break up with you, Bra. I just needed to have you one last time."_

_The fear began to mushroom in her heart, and her expression changed into one of horror. She launched herself forward at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and staring up into his eyes in bewilderment._

"_Goten, please. Let's not play games like this. What do you mean?"_

"_Exactly what I said," he answered, peeling her off of him. The misery of the moment began to spread through his mind and ached more than anything he had ever felt. He had to get this over with._

"_I can't be with you anymore."_

_There was a long silence as she simply stared at him. He turned to leave, not wishing to hear her response._

"_Goten? Goten! Kami! Don't you dare walk away from me!" Her voice came out desperate and broken. She grabbed at him, gripping his shoulders frantically. "What on Earth are you thinking?"_

"_It's for the best."_

"_For… the BEST?"_

_He tried to leave again, but he felt her hands wrap tightly around his midsection. He felt the small sobs which had begun to shake her body._

"_Goten, how can you make love to me and leave me? Why are you doing this?"_

_He reached towards the wall and turned the shower off to emphasize his next words. As he turned off the shower, so he was suddenly able to turn off his own tears._

"_This… you and me… it was all a mistake…"_

"_What the hell!" she cried hysterically, "Goten! You don't mean that, I know you love me…"_

_His jaw worked for a second before he turned and pinned her against the shower stall._

_He urged himself to say something cruel and terrible. He urged himself to say something she would never forget, and never forgive him for._

_He saw the look of fear and hurt in her eyes, and his mouth moved on its own, "I don't love you. But thanks for the great fuck."_

_Something flashed in her eyes and she screamed. Bra's fingernails went to his neck and tore at his skin murderously._

"_How dare you! How dare you!"_

_She worked herself up into a frenzy as her arms flailed and her voice wailed, "GOTEN! How can you do this to me? YOU BASTARD!"_

_He stood there in shock for a moment as she tore at him and screamed his name desperately. What had he expected? That she wouldn't care that he was leaving her? That she would shrug and casually go about her business? He had expected anything but this. Anything but this violent outburst from the sweetest girl he knew. He was startled at the sight of blood dripping down Bra's arms, and perplexed by the knowledge that it was his. He'd forgotten she was even strong enough to tear his skin._

_After his stupor wore off, he easily clutched her small wrists within his hands. He held her firmly until she stopped struggling, and her shoulders shook with huge sobs._

"_Goten…" she whispered, "Why? Why now? What have I done?"_

_He saw that her energy had gone, and he felt her wrists hanging limply in his hands. He wanted to pull her against him and hold her, and cry and apologize, and tell her that everything would be alright._

_Instead, Goten released her wrists. He didn't realize that his grip had been the only thing keeping her standing, and she slipped to the floor in a crumpled heap._

_Bra didn't even feel the cool tiles against her naked back as she looked up at Goten with the eyes of a wounded young animal. Goten suddenly remembered the fearful day in his childhood that he'd discovered the baby dinosaur Chobi had been kidnapped. Bra's large wet eyes reminded him of the terrified baby dinosaur, stolen from its parents and whipped by the sadistic circus master. Goten had had his big brother to help rescue Chobi back then, but who would rescue Bra?_

_He felt as though he had carved a hole into his own chest with a dull knife. He was sure she felt even worse._

"_Why?" she asked again, her eyes glittering. Large droplets collected on her blue lashes before spilling onto her cheeks._

"_We're just not meant to be together," he answered, his face expressionless. He amazed himself at how he was able to conceal the earthquakes that were shaking his soul at its very core._

"_Goten…" Bra gasped through her sobs, "You don't mean that…"_

"_If I had to choose whether to move forward with you, now or never, I would choose never."_

"_Goten! I'm not asking for more. We don't have to… 'move forward.' I just want to be with you… aren't we happy together?"_

Yes, Bra-chan, _he thought to himself, achingly. _We are happy. But I have to ruin this, so that our happiness doesn't cause you pain for the rest of your life. I don't want you to end up like my mother.

"_Don't think I haven't seen you fawning over those wedding magazines. You're not going to drag me into that crap…"_

"_Goten! I don't need labels or ceremonies, I just need you! I just need you beside me, close to me! Please…"_

"_No. You need a fucking puppet to play your little womanly game with you. I'm through with this."_

"_Kami, please… don't do this to me, Goten. I love you…"_

_The picture of his angel lying there at his feet, naked, with his blood staining her pure white skin, and her large blue eyes brimming with tears was simply too much for him. She had her arms wrapped around herself tightly as though she were trying to keep herself from falling apart._

_He swallowed, and turned his back as his eyes began to water again. He could no longer keep his face cold and emotionless, and he shut his eyes tightly. He clenched his fists and spat out in one last heartless stab:_

"_Get over it."_

The words rang now in Goten's mind as he stepped towards Bra. There was no way, no possible way that he could ever compensate for what he had done to her. No way that he could even think to apologize. He didn't even have the right to look at her as he had been… but yet, here she was. She had kept an eye on him while he was in the tank. She had obviously been sitting here for hours, judging by the number of fashion magazines that were piled up on the table to fashion a makeshift pillow for her.

He should at least thank her for taking him to the rejuvenation tank. He might have died if she had left him in the condition he'd been in. He took a step toward her, but then he immediately pivoted and began to walk away. He couldn't face her. He simply couldn't.

"Goten?" came a soft whisper. He froze, and glanced back over his shoulder. She was stirring awake slowly, and rubbing her eyes.

"Thanks for taking care of me, Bra. I must have been in there for hours."

Her large blue eyes blinked open, "Days."

"Days?"

"Yeah. I don't know what Trunks did to you, but you really got owned. Badly."

Goten was surprised to see the ghost of a playful smile dance across her lips, and he found himself drawn to her. His legs carried him over to sit across from her at the table before he could protest.

"Bra," he began. Then he caught himself. _What am I going to say? How am I going to say this?_

There was a long moment of silence as his wheels turned soundlessly.

Bra leaned her chin on the palm of her hand as she stared at him impatiently, "Yeah?"

"I… just…" he swallowed, "I see you've been doing some light reading. Anything good?"

Her eyes glanced down at the pile of fashion magazines and she frowned, "Yeah. Apparently thigh-high boots with studded heels are coming into fashion for the fall. Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

Her new ability to read minds made conversations extremely challenging for Bra. She very much hated people not getting to their points, and dancing around the important subjects.

"Nah," said Goten, moving to stand, "That's all…"

"Goten," she interrupted, "Sit. Talk."

He obeyed instantly, and looked down at his hands on the table sheepishly, "I guess you're wondering about what I was trying to say to you before the ship launched…"

She nodded, "Yes. Do you think we can have that conversation now that you aren't bleeding to death on me?"

Goten nodded slowly, biting his lip. He stared at her hands which were folded neatly on the table. He saw that the white tips of her French manicure were chipped on a few fingers. It wasn't like Bra to have anything, even a minute detail like her nail polish, less than perfect. It occurred to him then that those fingers with the chipped polish all belonged to the hand which she had used to block the ki blast which nearly killed him.

He wanted to reach out and touch her hands, but he was hesitant. He didn't know how she would react to a gesture like that. He found his hands twitching with his desire to touch her, but some other force inhibited the motion.

Hearing his thoughts, Bra looked down at her nail polish, frowning to see that it was indeed chipped. She folded her hands in a different way in order to conceal the flaws.

He did reach out to grasp her hands then.

"Kami! Bra, the palm of your hand is burned… the skin has been burned clean off!" Goten tenderly held her wrist as he surveyed the damage.

She smiled and pulled her hand away from him. "It's nothing, Goten, honestly. I'm not as weak as I used to be… this is just a small injury."

He was already leaping up and heading for the first aid kit. He opened the box and removed antiseptic and bandages for her hand as he returned, and sat down on the bench beside her instead of across from her. Bra found herself feeling nervous at his proximity as he took her hand into his lap and began to tend to it.

She tried to distract herself by glancing at the fashion magazines. Suddenly, titles began popping out to her from the covers as though mocking her.

_Excessive Intimacy with an Ex can be Destructive_

"I am really impressed with how powerful you've become, Bra-chan," Goten was saying, as he wrapped the bandage around her hand, "I can't believe you blocked that blast!"

"It wasn't that powerful," she said with a shrug, "You were just already down and out, so it was overkill. I didn't even need to go Super Saiyan to block it."

"Super Saiyan," Goten's eyes drifted up from her hand to meet her eyes. There was only love and warmth shining forth from within his sweet brown eyes, "I never really got a chance to tell you how proud of you I am. It's an amazing achievement."

She felt a blush touching her cheeks, but she shrugged as though she didn't agree, "It isn't that impressive. I was the last of us hybrids to do it. You and Trunks transformed as toddlers."

"It's different for everyone. It was especially tough for our fathers. Anyway, I'm really proud of you," Goten found himself lifting her bandaged hand to his lips and kissing it gently.

Their eyes locked, and Bra found herself smiling at the moment his lips brushed her hand. Then she caught herself and looked away. Her eyes fell back to the pile of fashion magazines and latched onto another headline.

_Forgiveness: How Much is Too Much?_

Goten was still smiling and holding her injured hand in both of his, "I wish I could have been there to witness your first transformation."

"Really?" she mumbled.

"Yeah! It's kind of like a saiyan version of a graduation ceremony, isn't it?" Goten was grinning, "I really wish I could have seen it! What pushed you past the edge? How did it happen? Will you tell me the story?"

"I was… naked," Bra said with a light laugh.

"Naked?" he asked, blinking.

"Yes."

"Why were you… naked?" he asked slowly.

Bra glanced up at his face, fully aware that he was imagining her naked, and that he was imagining making love to her naked body. She could feel through the mental link how his imagination and his thoughts were arousing him, and she felt slightly… pleased.

"It was in the Time Chamber," Bra said, omitting the part about Para and the fusion break. "The temperature had gotten so terribly hot that I couldn't stand to be in my saiyan armor anymore. I had to rip off my clothes."

"Oh," said Goten. He stared at her for a moment before a slow smile spread over his face, "Well, then I REALLY wish I had been there to see it!"

Bra couldn't resist a smirk.

"I've never seen a naked Super Saiyan girl before," Goten added, as if to justify his previous comment.

"Well, I found out that day that the hair changes color _everywhere_," Bra said with a small giggle. "Pan couldn't believe that I hadn't known that before. She was all 'Didn't you notice that on Goten in bed?' I felt pretty embarrassed. She was shocked when I told her that you never went Super Saiyan with me when we slept together."

"Excuse me for not wanting to hurt you," said Goten with a frown. "Trunks nearly killed a human girl like that a few days ago, and I had to steal one of Gohan's senzu beans for her."

"But I'm a saiyan too, Goten. If you couldn't relax and be wild with me, who _will _you be able to do it with?" Bra had leaned closer to him, speaking in almost a whisper, but then she abruptly pulled away, "Well, that's too bad. I guess we'll never know what it's like."

She glanced back at the magazines thoughtfully.

_66 Reasons You Shouldn't Take Your Ex Back_

"I didn't need to go Super Saiyan to enjoy making love to you, Bra-chan," said Goten, slowly. "It was special and wonderful every single time …"

Bra playful smile disappeared and she reached out and placed two fingers over his lips, "Don't."

"Bra-chan…"

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"No, I need you to hear this. I need you to know that being with you was the most meaningful thing in the world to me. The love we shared, the closeness… those were the most magical moments I've ever experienced in my life. I was so just happy to be with you. I didn't need fireworks and high power levels."

Bra turned away from Goten abruptly. She could hear all the romantic and passionate thoughts swimming in his mind, and they were intoxicating. Was he finally addressing what had happened between them? Finally ready to confront his own guilt? Could they finally move past it all?

"I know you probably don't believe that, especially with the way I acted…" Goten reached out his hand and laid it on her lower back hesitantly. "I doubt you even want to hear an explanation…"

"No…" she answered softly. "I want to hear it."

"You do?" he asked in surprise.

She snapped her head around to glare at him.

"I want you to tell me what the fuck you were thinking when you treated me like that."

He sighed and leaned his forehead against her shoulder, "I was very overwhelmed at that point in time… I know there's absolutely no excuse, and I don't even hope for your forgiveness, or even that you will listen to my reasons. It's just that between all the pressure I was getting from my mother, and the things Trunks was saying to me—he'd just had that blowout with Pan and he was going a bit crazy—all of that pressure combined with the personal insecurities I had…"

Bra leaned her head against his, without really intending to. She felt her hand going to rest on his leg as she glanced over at the magazines.

_Still Thinking About Him? Tips on How to Move on Today._

Goten continued to talk and to explain himself, but Bra found it difficult to listen to his words when his thoughts were so much louder in her mind.

He kept thinking how much he loved her. How much he missed her. How much he wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her and make love to her right there in the infirmary. How much he never wanted to ever let her go again. How much he wanted to spend his life apologizing and making up for his mistake, and how he didn't believe he really deserved the chance. He was thinking that she was his princess, and as much as he wanted to be the one to treat her that way, he didn't think he could do as great a job of it as she deserved.

But he wasn't saying all this.

A confused expression transformed Bra's features as she listened to his explanations, his reasons, his fears, his hopes. But all she really wanted to hear was that he still loved her. She wanted to hear him say it, out loud. To reassure her vocally that he still loved her, wanted her, and would stay with her if they got back together.

Because the truth was, she really wanted him back.

"…And I just wasn't myself. It was a really rough time for me, and I took it out on you. Can you ever forgive me?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, "What are you saying, Goten?"

"I'm saying that… that I'm sorry. More sorry than you can ever imagine. And I really didn't mean any of those terrible things that I said."

"What things?" she prodded.

Goten sucked in a breath, not really wanting to revisit that awful evening. "I didn't mean… that it was a mistake. I didn't mean that I thought we weren't meant to be together. I didn't mean… that if I had to choose 'now or never' I would have chosen never."

"What did you mean then?" she asked. _Just tell me you love me, Goten. Tell me you love me, tell me you want to be with me…_

"I… Dende, Bra! I don't know what the fuck I meant, I was out of my goddamned mind!" Goten ripped himself away from her, and stood up.

Bra hadn't realized that they had been sitting so close, with their bodies so warmly intertwined until she felt the cold air beside her where Goten had been a moment ago. It reminded her of how abruptly he had pulled away after they had had sex on that final night together. She closed her eyes.

Goten reached up and ran his hands through his hair, "I just can't take this anymore, Bra! I can't take not speaking to you, I can't take those hateful, callous looks you keep giving me! I can't take this silence, I can't take this coldness!"

"So what are you saying? What are you asking me?" she insisted. _Just say the words!_

"I'm asking you to please forget for a _millisecond_ that you're Vegeta's daughter, and have some mercy on my poor damned soul."

Bra was silent and still for a moment, before a small smile crept onto her face.

"There are a lot of things in this life that I can forget, my love. But I am my father's daughter, in every possible sense."

She stood up too, and faced him squarely before cupping his face and planting a soft, sweet kiss on his lips. She let her mouth linger near his for a moment.

"I can give you just about anything you ask me for, Goten Son," she whispered, gazing at him lustily through half-lidded eyes, "But mercy is not on the menu."

She turned around to leave, but Goten blurred in front of her. He grasped her shoulders firmly.

"Bra… I…"

"Yes?"

"I just wish…" Goten sighed and dropped his arms to his sides, "Never mind. I'm being selfish."

Bra reached down and took his hands, "Tell me. Please, tell me. You may not have another chance to speak to me like this…"

_Just tell me exactly what you're thinking, Goten. Tell me you love me. Do it, and we can get back together, and I can hold off on using Para to make you miserable_

"Well…The media doesn't know about our separation yet. Do you want to… maybe go to the ball as dates just to keep up appearances?"

"Appearances?"

"Yeah… just so that we're not scandalized like Pan and Trunks were. There are crazy people out there… some psycho creeps actually SHOT the new girl Trunks is dating. I don't want you to be in any danger when the media finds out you're single…"

"That's really kind of you, Goten. But I can take care of myself now, remember?"

"There are other types of danger that physical strength can't protect you against," Goten said firmly. _Like every fucking creep from here to Nantucket wanting to sleep with you. Like you having your normal bad judgement with men, and dating all the wrong ones… that includes me._

"So you really want to take me to the ball… just to keep up appearances?" she asked. She prayed silently that he would just say the words she needed to hear.

_No. I want to take you to the ball because I love you, and I want to spend time with you and dance with you when you're wearing a beautiful gown…_

"Yeah. Don't you think it's a good idea?"

"A good idea," she repeated, through gritted teeth, "To lie like that? How many years are you going to be my date, Goten, just to keep up appearances? Are you going to be my date next year? In five years? How long do we fake it for the public?"

"As long as…"

She glared at him, and decided to give him one last chance. "Goten, do you think things can ever be fixed between us?"

He looked defeated "No, Bra-chan. I'm sorry. I know I screwed things up for good… I just wanted to be of some small use to you."

_I'm going to regret this_, she thought.

"No, Goten, it's a really good idea! There's only one problem: I already have a date."

"You… what?"

"Yeah! He's a really nice guy."

"Who?"

"Just someone I used to date years ago. An ex."

"Who?" Goten asked again, frowning. _All of the guys she used to date were assholes that I had to beat the crap out of. I bet it's some douchebag with a motorcycle and tattoos…_

"Well, you'll just have to see at the ball, won't you?" Bra said with a laugh.

"Yeah. I guess so," Goten answered. "Well… thanks again for making sure I got healed up. Bye, Bra."

"See you later, Goten."

Bra smiled as she watched Goten leave angrily. He was definitely jealous, she observed as she read his thoughts. As soon as she was sure that he was out of earshot, flying a decent distance away from the building, she cursed softly.

Bra flipped out her phone and began to scan through the contacts rapidly. "Kami, who should I call? Who would make it with me on such short notice? I always shove my foot in my mouth, don't I?"

Then she saw the name on her phone. The one guy Goten hated the most: mainly because there was no reason to hate him:

Cliff.

* * *

She felt herself being gently shaken. The rejuvenation chamber had indicated she was fully healed, but she had remained unconscious in the tank for hours until Trunks had removed her, laid her out on the couch in the spaceship, and shaken her awake.

"Your energy is amazing, Panny," Trunks said softly to the half-awake girl. He brushed her dark bangs out of her eyes. "You're so much like your grandpa. Except for how peacefully you sleep. Kami, Goku snored so loudly I always woke up thinking there was construction going on nearby, even when we were smack in the middle of space."

Pan mumbled something softly and Trunks smiled, rubbing her cheek.

"You know… you Sons have the weirdest sleeping positions possible. Goten always drove me up the wall with his random spastic flailing when we'd have sleepovers as kids. But, Panny… you always sleep so serenely. It's the only time you seem… so pure. Maybe even cherubic. Who would believe that you're a killer?"

"I'm what?" asked Pan, stirring slightly. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see a pair of sea-blue orbs gazing back into hers. He was so close that she could feel his warm breath on her face. His hands were also resting on her abdomen and wrist.

Pan was taken aback by the proximity and she managed to croak out a surprised, "Hi."

"Hi," he answered softly, "My sister sent me. She said you could use a hand."

Pan opened her mouth to protest and then she closed it. She realized that his hands were only on her body to feel her very weak pulse. She could still barely move. There was still an intense throbbing in her head. It was the first time that she had exited the rejuvenation tank and still felt pain. She wasn't completely healed? The searing explosions in her head intensified, and she shut her lips tightly, holding her breath until the attack passed.

She didn't wince or display pain, but Trunks knew her well enough to see that she was suffering, and he pulled her head against his chest, cradling her close and stroking her scalp.

After a few minutes of blinding pain, the throbbing in her head began to ease a little. It had been so severe that she hadn't even noticed the intimate position that Trunks held her in. She was content to lay against him until her breathing calmed down, "Thanks for coming. Bra was right; I really needed you."

"Panny, will you tell me exactly what's going on here?"

She lay in silence for a few seconds, as everything came rushing back to her. She struggled to move away from him, but he held her fast.

"Shhh, relax."

He was right, for the sudden jerky motion caused her pain to flare up again, even stronger. She did moan this time.

"It hurts… Kami, why does it hurt so much?"

"Rate your pain on a scale of one to ten?"

"This isn't funny, Trunks. I don't need hospital humor right now."

"I'm serious, Panny."

"I don't… know…" she reached up and clutched at her head in an effort to soothe the pain.

"It's not difficult! Scale of one to ten! One being no pain, and a smiley face, five being a slightly sad face but not totally frowny yet, and ten being…"

"Thirty. Thirty. Thirty. I'm suffering because of what I've done. This is karma, isn't it? Agh."

"You're not making sense, now, Panny."

"Fucking karma," she gasped. She lay there, as still as possible for several minutes before she was able to speak again. "Is Bra OK?"

"Yes. She's with Goten."

"Dende, that's not good."

"They'll be fine," he said, reassuringly. He kissed her forehead, "I'm more concerned about my woman."

Pan paused. She frowned, "Did you just call _me_ your woman?"

He reached down and pulled the blanket that was covering her legs up around her neck, "Sure did."

"What year is this?" Pan asked, rubbing her sore head. She felt that her skin was covered in a thin film of sweat. "Have I travelled back in time to the days when it was normal for you to take care of me and call me _your woman_?"

"No," he said, gently stroking her hair, "You'll just always be my woman. Regardless of the year or how mad at me you are. Or how many times we break up, or how many men you prefer over me."

Pan stared at him for a moment and then she snapped her fingers.

"I get it now. This is a dream. I'm dreaming, right? I know I'm dreaming, this feels like a dream! Except for the pain and sickness."

"It isn't a dream…

"No! I'm pretty sure it is. And if it is, I can do anything I want."

"Uh…"

"Trunks, listen. I'm sorry about Para…"

"Who or what is Para?"

Pan gasped as her vision spun. She reached up and pulled Trunks against her, "Kami. I love you, Trunks. I love you… someday maybe I'll fix all this. If I'm dying in my dream, am I going to die in reality too?"

"Panny, you need to get it together, you're not thinking straight…"

"Trunks," Pan exhaled sharply in pain, clutching his leg even tighter as she saw a kaleidoscope of colours that couldn't be blinked away, "Dende, Trunks, I'm so sorry."

"Easy there," he said, prying her hand away from his leg and ignoring the fact that she had drawn some blood. He slipped down from his seated position on the couch beside her, and lay down next to her, pulling her body against his. It was partly to soothe her with a hug, and partly to restrain her. He rubbed her back firmly, feeling her body convulse against his.

"Dende," he said, "What have you done to yourself, Pan?"

Her hands clutched great big handfuls of his shirt as she mashed her forehead against his chest.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you," she whispered, "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Well, I did... but I never meant to mean to. I never thought I would be so angry and do such awful things. You'll never forgive me."

"What on earth are you talking about, Pan?"

"I made Medea. I made her."

"What? You mean her career as a doctor? Is she someone you hired?"

"NO! Yes! I am her, I made her, I destroyed her. I'm sorry, Trunks."

"You're not making any sense, Pan." Trunks placed the back of his hand on her forehead, "You're burning up with fever. You're just delirious, that's all."

"I didn't mean to... I just wanted you to see how it felt. It felt so terrible."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know that you hate me," she whispered.

"I could never..."

"But once I started I couldn't stop. You know that right? I'm so sorry."

"Shhh, Pan. I think you should get some rest."

"I couldn't stop," she kept repeating, over and over, "I'm sorry, Trunks. I love you. I love you. I love you so much, how could I do this to you?"

"Panny," he said, kissing her gently, and holding her, "Just try to get some rest. You're not yourself right now."

"No! I'm me _now_!" she all but screamed, "I wasn't myself _then_! Please don't let me go back... I love you, Trunks..."

"Kami, you must be in so much pain that you really believe you're dying if you're telling me you love me this much."

Pan was quiet for a few moments, and her breathing slowed down to a normal pace. The tension in her body eased away. As her pain began to ease away, Pan realized what she had said. What if it really wasn't a dream? Then she had practically confessed everything. And if it was a dream, and it was predicting the future, would everything happen the same way since she had recognized it and interfered?

"I missed you, Pan. Please don't go away again, not for so long," Trunks said, stroking her hair.

She looked up at him, to see whether he had understood any of her rambling about Para and Medea and… when her eyes locked with his, she saw only one thing: his desire for her. She felt inexplicably drawn in as his lips descended on hers, giving her a comforting, nurturing kiss.

His lips were warm and moist, while hers were dry and cold—the kiss felt too real for this to be a dream. She thought she should panic about this, but the sensations of the kiss had overwhelmed her body, which had been immobilized and overpowered with pain just moments before. Nonetheless, his touch infused her with warmth, and she felt her soul stirring to life. She moved her hand to rest on his chest as he began to kiss her neck and collarbone.

"Trunks," she moaned out softly, closing her eyes. She wondered how she could go from feeling deathly ill to perfectly healthy so instantaneously… unless…

Pan's eyes snapped open.

"Panny... were you having a sex dream about me?" Trunks asked, with a boyish grin on his face.

She groaned and resisted the urge to smack him. She turned over in the couch so that her back was to him and she was facing the buttoned cushions. _So it was a dream after all. What on earth was that?_

She then noticed her complete lack of fever, perspiration, headache, or convulsions, and she frowned. "I'm not dying? I'm healthy…"

"You were dying a few days ago, but we put you in the tank…"

"No… I dreamed I was very, very sick… I thought I was going to die for sure."

"And I was there?"

"Yes… you were taking care of me, I suppose."

He placed a hand on her shoulder gently, although her back was turned to him, "I always will."

She felt a shudder run through her body at his small reassuring touch. She ran over the details of her dream in her mind, wondering about what exactly had been going on there. What could possibly make her so ill? She had never been so ill in her life. Would she really experience that at some point? Would she die from some strange virus instead of on the battlefield?

"Tell me what's going on, Pan-chan."

She shrugged her shoulders instead of giving a response. His hand, which had rested gently on her shoulder a moment before, now gripped her firmly and pulled on her shoulder so that she was forced to turn to face him.

She looked up at his blue eyes in confusion, "Trunks... what...?"

"Dad won't explain to me why the HELL he was allowing you to use a dangerous technique like Zenkai. So I've been patiently awaiting your explanation."

"Trunks..."

"You could have DIED, Pan! This is your life we're talking about, not some..."

"Don't say it."

"...Children's game!"

Pan immediately turned back away from him so that she was facing the couch again. She grumbled softly to herself, "I still hate that."

He sighed, realizing he had crossed Pan's major line by implying he found her actions childish, and he knew he needed to fix this mistake immediately or risk even more of her wrath than he had recently garnered.

"Panny," he said, reaching out and touching her shoulder again in an affectionate way. "Look, I know we've had some shit between us lately, but we're still friends, aren't we? More than that, we're still partners. We travelled the Universe together and we've always had each other's backs. So won't you tell me what is making you train like this?"

"No."

"Don't you think I deserve to know so I can prepare too? We're still part of the same team. We may not share a bed anymore, but we're still part of the Earth's Special Forces."

She chewed on her lip. She realized that she couldn't withhold important information from him that could potentially save millions of lives, if not their whole planet. He was a powerful fighter too, and he deserved to know.

The question of whether she really, truly still trusted him underneath it all was easily answered.

She glanced back over her shoulder at him and sighed. He knew how to break her too easily with that fighting-partner spiel. She reached up and clasped the hand he had rested on her shoulder.

"I wish I knew what it was exactly that I'm preparing for. I just know that it's terrifyingly powerful, and giving me lots of nightmares. It's way stronger than your dad. Haven't you sensed it?"

"No, but I think Goten did. Right before I kicked his ass."

Pan smirked a little, "You both are getting soft."

"I realized that when I felt how you were fighting," he admitted. "Pan-chan, please take it easy, alright? We'll all prepare for this thing together; you don't have to do it alone."

"Together?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him, "Really?"

"Yes, why..."

"Gravity room, now."

"No way! You just barely woke up..." he trailed off.

"Are you scared, old man?"

Trunks interrupted his protests and stood up, smirking at her, "Not of little girls."

She grinned at the familiar exchange.

* * *

"What were you thinking, Panny? Taking an impromptu Caribbean vacation with my pops doesn't get us any closer to our revenge."

Bra was impatiently tapping her foot, and making the porcelain figurines dance on the shelves.

Pan held up her hands in surrender, "Sorry, Bra… I had my reasons, it was just…"

"I know your damned reasons! I can read your brain, remember? Do you know that you nearly made us miss the BALL?"

"But the Ball is tomorrow…"

"You missed the appointments for nails and hair that I scheduled this week! This is a disaster! Para's going to look horrible because YOU'LL be a mess!"

"You knew I wasn't going to go to those appointments anyway." Pan eyed her friend suspiciously. "Bra, what's really wrong with you?"

Bra sighed and sat down abruptly, letting her head fall into her hands. "I lied to Goten. I told him I had a date for the ball."

"_You did what_?"

"And now I need to show up… as myself… with a date."

"BRA!"

"I know, I know…"

"NO! This wasn't part of the plan!" Pan accused. "How are we going to go to the ball as Para if you are going as yourself?"

"I have a plan…"

"No, Bra! We said we'd get them back evenly, and do to them exactly what they did to us. Goten never flirted with other women when he was with you. He never…"

"I know! I didn't mean to say it, I didn't intend for this to happen! But you have to go along with me on this Panny. It will only set us back an hour or two, you'll see."

"Fine. What's the plan?"

"Well, I have this great excuse for Para being late. I also have great excuses for you and me having to leave the ball early. Not together, of course…"

"Wait. I have to go to the ball as Pan, as _me_ too? That was NEVER part of the…"

"Panny, Panny! It's a great opportunity to save your reputation after the media said all those horrid things about you."

"I… well…" After a moment Pan found herself nodding reluctantly.

"Great! Now here's the plan… we start tomorrow morning with Goten…"

* * *

"Medea, you look really tired."

"I've been working very long shifts, Goten. I basically worked non-stop for the last three days with hardly any sleep," she fabricated.

"And you still came to train with me? You're crazy! You need your rest."

"Oh, trust me. Part of me wanted to rest, badly. But another part of me really didn't want to disappoint you! I saw how excited you were when I managed to create that ball of energy."

"I think you might have a real talent for this. Have you been practicing?" Goten asked.

"Oh, yes!" Para exclaimed. "I found it so interesting. I tried to make a little ball of energy every night before bed. It wasn't as easy without you encouraging me, but I think I've got the hang of it. The only downside is that putting out so much energy makes me so exhausted… I usually fall asleep right away!"

"Show me what you can do," Goten urged her with a smile.

Para put her hands together and took a deep breath. She falsely caused her flexed fingers to shake as though she was exerting a considerable effort. She made a small sound as she formed an energy ball.

"There!" she said proudly, displaying the cantaloupe-sized ball of pale orange energy.

"Wonderful! Can you make it bigger?" Goten asked, grinning.

"I'll… try…" she said, concentrating. She moved her hands slightly apart and focused the tiniest more energy into the ball until it was basketball-sized.

"Is this OK?" she asked him.

"That's great!" exclaimed Goten, "I can't believe how… Medea! Medea, are you alright?"

Para had faked a collapse, and Goten had dutifully caught her. She placed a hand over her forehead dramatically.

"Oh, my… I think I used too much of my energy. I haven't gotten the hang of that quite yet."

"Don't worry, you're doing great! You said you barely slept in three days, so you must be running low on strength. We should stop training for now and get you home to rest."

Just then, as if on cue, Para's stomach happened to growl.

They both looked down at it, and Para laughed lightly, "I guess I haven't eaten much either. It's been so busy at the hospital…"

"Then maybe I should take you out for something to eat first."

"Sounds great."

Goten flew, with Para still in his arms, to a nearby bistro cafe. When they were inside, he placed her down on a barstool.

A burly man wearing an apron came to the counter and smiled at them.

"What can I get you two lovebirds?"

"Uh, we're not…" began Goten, with a blush.

"The strongest drink you've got, please," Para answered promptly.

The man behind the counter raised an eyebrow, "Well, that would be some fine scotch, young lady. But are you sure you can handle it, and this early in the morning?"

"I'll have a double, straight up," Para confirmed.

Goten raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Uh, Medea. Are you sure that's a good idea? You could barely stand up a few moments ago…"

"Oh, Goten. I'm just really stressed, you know?" she answered sweetly. "I desperately need a drink."

"What's wrong?" Goten asked with evident concern.

"What do you think is wrong?"asked Para, throwing the scotch to the back of her throat as soon as it had been poured and nodding to the bartender. "Another please. Keep them coming."

The bartender glanced at Goten, "I hope you're going to take care of her when she can't walk straight?"

"Sure," said Goten, before turning back to Para. "I have no clue what's on your mind. Is your job getting you down?"

"It's your dumb friend," Para answered in a melancholy voice. "I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved with him. I have been calling and calling him, and I haven't been able to get in touch with him all week. The Charity Ball is supposed to be tonight, but he hasn't even called me to confirm my attendance!"

Bra had indeed called her brother's personal line a few dozen times from Para's number, just to make it seem like she had missed him.

"Oh, is that all? Trunks had to leave on a surprise… business trip last week. He came back late last night and he was really… jet-lagged. He probably passed out as soon as he got home."

"He could have called to say he was leaving! He could have called from wherever he went! But I received no communication at all! I hate this. Another scotch, please."

The giant bartender narrowed his eyes and stared at the small girl suspiciously, but he complied.

"He really would have called if he could have! There was absolutely no reception where he went. It was also really a surprise because his sister was supposed to be the one making the trip, but at the last second… something came up."

"Goten, you're so sweet to make excuses for your friend. But he should be telling me these things, not you! I don't even know if I want to go to the ball with him tonight. I think I could use the time off work to sleep instead."

"No, no! Medea, it's the biggest party ever, and it's a whole lot of fun! You should totally come and… save a dance for me."

"Really?" said Para, looking up at him shyly, "You'll dance with me tonight, Goten?"

"I..." Goten smiled and stuttered a bit in his answer, "Well, of course. Trunks won't mind. He's usually so busy in these types of things, anyway, so I'm sure we'll get a chance to dance together plenty and he'll hardly even notice."

Para smiled and spoke with a slight slur, "Ssso, what can I expect from thisss Charity Ball thing?"

"It's just a lot of rich people," said Goten with a shrug. "They talk about how rich they are, and about all their plans to become even richer. Then they eat and dance. I enjoy the eating and dancing part!"

"I think I will too. At leasst I know you'll dance with me, ssso that's a great reassson to ssshow up…"

Goten smiled at Para, thinking about how lovely she was—right before she collapsed again, falling right off her barstool.

* * *

"I can't believe you got her drunk, Goten."

"Sorry, man. I'd somewhat forgotten how human girls react to small amounts of alcohol… Bra could handle everything I could."

"Dude. Don't you ever _think_? You gave my date to the ball copious amounts of SCOTCH. On this day, of ALL days."

"Trunks, she was freaking out! She hadn't heard from you in days, and she didn't even know if you still wanted her to go to the ball with you…"

"Goten. I was in outer FUCKING space. Couldn't you cover for me?"

"Oh yeah! I totally would have, man. Except for the fact that right before you left you beat the shit out of me and left me for dead. I was unconscious for several FUCKING days, so no, I didn't have a chance to cover for you while I was regaining my health."

"What's going on? Why are there two men in my bedroom?" asked a groaning female voice.

Trunks and Goten both turned to look at Para.

"Are you alright, Medea?" asked Trunks, going to her side.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked sarcastically.

"Medea, I'm sorry… I had to leave unexpectedly…"

"I know. Goten told me. Business trip. Whatever."

"You don't believe that?"

"I'll tell you what I think, Mr. President." Para struggled to raise herself to her elbows, and placed a hand to her forehead as though in pain from the drinking.

"I think that your…" she made a sloppy gesture, "Oh-so-sudden _disappearance_ had something to do with Pan. Am I right?"

Trunks and Goten glanced at each other.

"I knew it! I knew it. I don't even know why you want _me_ to go to this stupid ball!"

"Medea, please… I really need…"

"No, Trunks. Shut up. Can you honestly tell me that if Pan walked in here RIGHT NOW and said she'd take you back you wouldn't drop me in a heartbeat?"

Trunks was silent.

"Yeah, I thought so." Para glanced at her wristwatch and reached for a bottle of water at her bedside, along with some pills that were there. She placed the pills on her tongue and took a swig of the water.

"I haven't slept in three days. I'm nervous and cranky, and drunk. These pills will put me right to sleep, which I desperately need so I can go to work tomorrow. Can you both leave my room now? Take the window, it's faster."

"Medea, I really need you to come to the Ball with me. Please. It's really important. Don't you want to wear the dress I got for you? You took a bullet for that dress!"

Para lay down on her bed and pulled the blankets over her head. She ordered in a grumpy voice, "Leave me alone! I need to sleep."

Trunks looked to Goten frantically, while gesturing to the lump on the bed and mouthing the words, "_Do something_!"

"Uh, Medea… you have to come to the Ball," Goten urged awkwardly, "Don't you remember you promised me a dance?"

The lump on the bed was quiet for a moment, and the boys both thought she had fallen asleep.

"If I wake up in time for the damned Ball, maybe I'll come. Now both of you, get out of my house!"

"Thank you," said Trunks, breathing a sigh of relief and grabbing Goten. He blasted out of the window.

What the boys didn't know was that under the blanket, Para had been smiling.

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, don't you all look lovely tonight?" began Bulma, in her charming social tone. "On behalf of Capsule Corporation, I would like to thank you all for making the trip down here for our special little get together. It's my favourite day of the year! I know many of you have just arrived in from lengthy international flights, and I encourage you to make yourselves at home while you're here: my home is your home, but more importantly…"

Bulma raised her glass of wine, displaying an arm sheathed in sparkling transparent lace, and grinned at her audience. "My liquor cabinets are your liquor cabinets!"

A jovial cheer rose from the crowd, as everyone raised their hands holding their drinks. Only Bulma Briefs could make a room full of the world's top executives, diplomats, ambassadors, and even royalty let loose and laugh.

"My dear friends," Bulma spoke again, "Your donations to the various charities that this Ball supports will play a powerful role in changing the world, and creating a better quality of life for all humanity. You can all enjoy yourselves, dance until dawn, and get completely wasted tonight, knowing that you've made the world a better place!"

The audience responded favourably again, and Bulma used the opportunity to lean away from the microphone and towards her son.

She whispered in a low tone, "Trunks, where is she? The press is here. They're already snapping photos. They already have thousands of photos of you standing alone!"

"I don't know, mom," Trunks whispered back a bit anxiously as he straightened his tie. "I've been calling her."

_"Hi, you've reached Medea. I'm not available now, but please leave a message and I'll return your call as soon as possible!"_

"Call again! I knew you screwed up by asking that dumb bimbo to such an important event."

Trunks sighed and continued to dial, again and again. What kind of sleeping pills had Medea taken? She must be out cold. He knew it was his fault. He shouldn't have raced off into space after Pan and left her…

_"Hi, you've reached Medea. I'm not available now, but please leave a message and I'll return your call as soon as possible!"_

The poor girl. She'd had no word from him for over a week. She'd probably been wondering whether he gave a hoot about her. Trunks ran a hand through his hair in exasperation.

_Want me to go and get her, man? _Goten asked telepathically. Trunks looked across the room to where Goten was standing with his family. Gohan, Videl, and Chi-Chi were all dressed up and smiling, but Goten had a very concerned look on his face.

Trunks shook his head slightly, _No, Goten. Thanks. I just hope she shows up…_

Suddenly, everyone's heads turned to the ballroom entrance as the press went crazy. They were snapping photos of two late guests. Through the thick crowd of people, all anyone could manage to see was glimpses of black shimmering fabric.

The doorman loudly introduced the couple in his booming baritone, "Ladies and gentlemen, Ms. Bra Briefs, and Mr. Cliff Edge!"

"Shit," muttered Goten, crushing the glass of wine in his hand.

"Oh my god, is that really Cliff?" squealed one of the waitresses.

Another waitress was standing on her toes to look over the reporters, "It's him! The smokin' hot model Cliff Edge. Oh, he's so dreamy!"

"The underwear model?" asked a male waiter who was standing nearby.

"He used to model underwear years ago," a waitress explained. "Lately it's mostly high end watches, accessories, business attire…"

"All of you!" hissed Bulma at her wait-staff, "Quit gawking and get back to work. I want dinner to be served promptly at seven o'clock."

"Yes, Ms. Briefs," they answered, scurrying off to their respective places. When it came to parties at Capsule Corporation, Bulma had the talent of seeming to appear everywhere at once. She now stalked toward her daughter, parting a sea of reporters.

Bra wore a simple sleeveless black dress with matching black gloves. The young girl turned to smile at her approaching mother.

"You're late, Bra Briefs," Bulma chastised in a low whisper that the reporters couldn't hear, capitalizing on her daughter's saiyan hearing. "What are you thinking by bringing this guy as your date?"

"Mom!" exclaimed Bra, ignoring Bulma's death glare and words. The younger woman reached out and hugged her mother and kissed her cheek happily, before gesturing to her date. "You remember Cliff, don't you, mom?"

"Of course!" said Bulma cheerfully, "How are you tonight, Mr. Edge?"

"Wonderful, Ms. Briefs," Cliff responded, making a low respectful bow, "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"A picture!" called out a reporter, "A picture of the beautiful mother and daughter of Capsule Corp.!"

Bra and Bulma instantly posed with an arm around each other and shone their dazzling front-page smiles at the reporters. The press went wild.

Goten had turned his back to the exchange once he had seen Cliff respectfully bow to Bulma. His jealousy was consuming, and it was all he could do to keep his ki suppressed.

Not only was that creep monopolizing Bra, _his_ Bra, but he was even seducing Bulma! Bulma was _his_ second mother, and had been for his entire life. It was disgusting to watch another man move in on the two women, throwing about his charm and good looks… Bra and Bulma were his _family_!

"Calm down, Goten," Gohan warned softly.

"Hey. Hey, man! Snap out of it," Trunks quickly moved to his friend's side. "You have to relax. Now."

Goten heard Trunks' voice, and nodded through his pain. He knew he should be cool, but he couldn't help feeling overpowered by the sting of betrayal and anger—he somehow still felt possessive over a woman who was no longer his. A woman he had willingly renounced.

The press was already inundating Bra with questions, and half of them began flocking to Goten as well.

"Miss Briefs, are you no longer dating Mr. Goten Son?

"Mr. Son, exactly how long has it been since you and Miss Briefs split up? We can see from the expression on your face that you are surprised to see her with another man…"

"Miss Briefs, how long have you and Mr. Edge been an item?"

"Mr. Son, how does it feel to see the love of your life here with another man?"

"My sister will answer all your questions. Excuse us, please," said Trunks with a diplomatic smile, guiding Goten safely away from the reporters. Of course, the danger had been to the safety of the reporters, and not to Goten. Or so Trunks thought.

"Why did she bring him of all people?" Goten asked with a clenched jaw. "She used to tell me she found him boring and shallow."

"She's just trying to get under your skin, man. Relax!"

"She seems to be enjoying herself," Goten remarked as he stole a glance at Bra laughing on Cliff's arm.

"And you should enjoy yourself too," Trunks said. "Get some champagne! Chill out. I have to mingle with the guests. Hopefully Medea shows up soon, or else I'm screwed in the papers tomorrow."

The announcer then cleared his throat again before bellowing loudly once more:

"Ladies and gentlemen, introducing two very special guests! The young heiress of Mr. Satan , Pan Son, on the arm of one of the world's most powerful, celebrated and beloved men…"

Trunks closed his eyes. Who was Pan with?

"Relax, Trunks," Goten mocked softly, "Have some champagne."

* * *

Omg, who is Pan's date? Guesses? :D

Sorry that the thank yous will be a bit shorter for this chappie: I hardly have time to write them and I'm just trying to get this chapter published before I get murdered. =(

* * *

I love the following people:

**Maggie: **Thanks for your great ideas! I can't wait to use them. =D

**mali86**: Sorry, no Zvarin in this chapter! Don't worry, we'll see more of him soon.

**Supersaiyan2479**: Actually, I didn't create that planet! It was a planet in DBGT. I just described it and made it seem more awesome while sticking to the canon. Thanks for your awesome review! Great work on updating your stories like crazy lately, I sure wish I could have more time to write too.

**jazzyfizzler**: Please, please forgive me for not reviewing MBS. I owe you a big review-a-roonie ASAP. With my new job, it has been so challenging to find time to write anything at all that I never thought I would ever finish this stupid chapter. =(

**LNCrow**: Did you enjoy all the G/B here? Hehe. I can't wait to hear what you think!

**Hanako:** Hope you like this one!

**dbzchic62789**: Thank you so much for your lovely review! I am so glad you're enjoying the story, and sorry I'm updating so slowly that you had to read it twice. I hope you enjoyed this update!

**gina31486**: As usual, your reviews are amazing. I am always so delighted to read them! I really liked you pointing out that Trunks hadn't informed Medea of his trip, so I tried to include some of her being pissed off about it in here. Thanks for the inspiration. =D

**Anmylica:** Don't hate me, don't hate me! I am so sorry I haven't been able to message you, or to send you previews. Just please know that the ideas you sent me are always in my mind and whenever I think of this story, I feel a responsibility to work on it harder for you. I know I've been shitty, I'll try to be better. =(

**Jaedeon Sierra:** Thanks for the feedback! I'm so glad you're hooked, and promise I will finish this, just trying not to rush things. =)

**The0Blind0Writer:** So glad you liked the bit of G/B. Thanks for another sweet review!

**Zi-Dawg:** Your review made me understand what I wrote better, lol. "_Vegeta may be a better father, but I don't think it's entirely Goku's fault, never having growing up with a real family, then when he has one they're being torn from him at every opportunity. I don't think it's fair for Vegeta to make such claims. Loved that last part with Vegeta's thoughts, it's so obvious to everyone that Goku is like his best friend and he really does miss him._" Thank you for your insights on our heroes. Honestly, I hadn't really thought about it, but you're absolutely right. Bardock is killed shortly after Goku is born, and Goku never knows his father—Vegeta had things much nicer with regard to family, and his own father. A similar dynamic should exist between Trunks and Goten, I believe. (Goten not having had his father.)

**Hot4dbz**: You're so cute. *gives you lots of food* ^-^ Honestly, your reviews make me smile sooo much! They're absolutely adorable. I've said this before, haven't I? I'm too lazy to go back to previous chapters and check. But I was cracking up when you were listing the reasons Trunks was a "douchebag" and Goten was breaking through and being sweeter. Can't wait to hear what you thought of this one!

**Sakura Kuchiki**: Haha, you're right! No way will Pan grow a tail in THAT way. Yikes. You're right that Vegeta acts like a daddy to Pan, lol. I figure that he's like the patriarch of the Z-team with Goku gone (and Piccolo gone too, for that matter.) When Goku and Vegeta were both (briefly) dead, Piccolo took over the fatherly-training role for the boys, so I'm guessing that Vegeta would be the one to do it now. (And Gohan if there was no Vegeta? But somehow I don't see him being a leader in this way. I think Pan is way more likely to take leadership than her father, and Vegeta knows this—which is why he's paying so much attention to her.)

**Suzki**: So! I finally have something special planned specifically for you. You've always been mentioning my subtle lesbian remarks and how funny you find them, but I never actually intended for there to be any lesbian innuendos between Pan and Bra. HOWEVER, I am considering a special scene along those lines in the future, in a moment of madness… =D

**KarinKurosakiHitsugaya913**: We will definitely have some Para vs. Vegeta action at some point in the nearrrr (probably two chapters) future!

**famoso**: Very true that Vegeta usually gets the heat for being a bad dad. I guess I brought some of my personal issues into this story, since my dad was more of the abandoning type, and I wanted to give Vegeta some kudos for being there at all. Good idea for Pan to IT away from Trunks on the ship! I thought I'd insert a bit of a romantic/friendship/fighting partner connection moment instead. Hope it's still OK like that. =)

**kickstartmyhart**: You're right, and maybe I will let Pan go SSJ 3 at some point later… we'll see. Like maybe if Trunks dies or something? Hehehe. Oh, don't worry, I wouldn't kill Trunks. Or would I? We'll see…

**Talk Smith Kid**: Glad you like the villain! And glad you liked being on top! Hehehe. There are plenty of different angles to master and you can get a really good workout from that too and burn some calories/build some muscle. =D

**KAMI'S CHIBI TENSHI:** Hahahaha! Your review made me laugh so much. Pan doing a striptease for Vegeta! That's brilliant, but I don't think it suits this particular story too well. Maybe we should explore that in another. =D

**Arian:** You wrote that "_the introduction of this new enemy was great although i'm a little worried he sounds invincible but then again so has every other enemy_" which made me SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy! YAY MY ENEMY BAD GUY SOUNDS INVINCIBLE! SCORE! WOOHOO! *hugs you* You're sooo awesome to give me such lovely reviews. =D Makes my life better, really! (There will totally be Para/Gotenks interaction eventually. I promise.)

**mumz3l-Neskouiik-Bura**: Merci beaucoup! J'espère que tu as aimé ce chapitre.

**dbz wrting for fun**: Sorry I couldn't add more Gohan in yet! Trust me, it's driving me crazy! I need to get Gohan in here soon!

**Leecassi**: Yay! It makes me so happy that Zvarin creeps you out already. =D Thanks for all your feedback on the little details like Trunks taking the ship and Bra saving Goten. They were unexpected for me too! (unplanned, lol)

**PaintedinAllColors**: LOL, you gave my ultimate villain badguy a cutesy nickname! KING Z! Lol. I like it. =) It will be used at a future point in time. Very perceptive reviews! Your guesses on what I can do with the romance and angst of the bad guy are very good. :D I would love to check out your lemon/story. Feel free to contact me by email or FB or any method you like.

**AnimeLover8797**: Ooh, my best friend is Korean. =) Glad you like the story!

**Ashley:** So glad you like it!

**Tony P:** You wrote "O. M. G. I think I've found my new ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PART. I really hope MY wedding is like this someday, wow!" All I can say is that I pity the foo' who agrees to be your wife. =)

**gue22:** I was SO SO SO SO SO SO deeply touched I was by your reviews. You have definitely inspired me greatly to write this story better. I included your comments about how Goten is a prince. Thanks for mentioning that, it was a brilliant idea! Much love. =D

**manazmama1**: Thank you!

**anime27:** Here is your update as requested.

**Akima Son:** Don't worry. Things will get sorted out. =D Thanks for bearing with me in the meantime!

* * *

Thanks to all of you for your continued support and encouragement. I definitely would have lost steam on this fic without you.

You all keep me so fired up. =)


	18. The Charity Ball

_Chapter Eighteen: The Charity Ball_

Major thanks to Anmylica for looking over this chapter for me. =)

This chapter is a shorter one, because it was running on too long and I made the decision to cut it in half. Unfortunately, that pushed most of the hardcore drama and action to the next chapter, but fortunately, the next chapter is already written. It just needs a few edits. So there WILL be a quick update after this one!

Quick recap: Last chapter, when Pan was on the ship returning from Rudeeze, she had a dream that she was very, very sick, and gave up some information to Trunks. Then she woke up! She realized that she was actually perfectly healthy, and she hadn't told Trunks anything. I think there was one person who didn't notice that it was just a dream, so that's why I felt I should include this.

Also, sorry for the lame cliffhanger. A bunch of you guessed it... but don't worry. This was just a good place to end the chapter. It wasn't really intended to make you that curious or excited, lol!

I have much more in store for you.

~PanHopeNvs (Nadia Scrieva)

* * *

_Last time:_

_"Ladies and gentlemen, introducing two very special guests! The young heiress of Mr. Satan, Pan Son, on the arm of one of the world's most powerful, celebrated and beloved men…"_

_Trunks closed his eyes. Who was Pan with?_

_"Relax, Trunks," Goten mocked softly, "Have some champagne."_

* * *

"Please give a warm welcome to Mr. Satan himself!"

The crowd went wild

Trunks opened his eyes in surprise. Pan hadn't brought along a young male model like Bra had. She had come to the ball with her grandfather. He felt a small smile slowly spread across his face at how adorable his Panny was. She always put family first, and she loved both of her grandfathers more than life itself.

His smile disappeared. She used to love him like that.

"Damn," muttered Goten. "Why am I always the one who gets his face rubbed in it?"

Trunks put his hand on Goten's shoulder reassuringly. Before he could answer his friend, he was interrupted by his parents, who had moved across the room to join him near the Sons.

"Trunks," said Bulma in a hushed whisper, "This is great. She can save this thing for us. Go and greet her. Ask her to dance with you."

Trunks looked at Pan smiling and hugging her grandfather's arm as the cameras flashed all around her. He knew that despite her sweet, feminine display she was internally cursing the annoying bright lights and attention. Her red gown glittered in the spotlight, contrasting sharply with her dark hair.

"I can't, mom," he answered in a low voice.

"Do what your mother is asking of you, boy," barked Vegeta.

Trunks sighed and rolled his eyes skyward at his interfering parents.

"Fine," he muttered, walking towards Pan.

"Bulma," complained Gohan, adjusting his glasses on his nose, "I really don't think that's a good idea. You shouldn't be encouraging..."

"Shut up, Gohan. I'm older than you and I know what's best for the kids."

Gohan closed his mouth, in a manner he had become very accustomed to in a lifetime of being snapped at by domineering women. You would think that saving the world would make him exempt from this kind of treatment, but rest assured that Bulma and Chi-Chi had never once let Gohan's physical strength go to his head.

When Trunks had navigated two-thirds of his way across the densely crowded room toward Pan, he was forced to pause. A foreign ambassador had stopped to compliment him on a recent acquisition that he hadn't even heard about, but he politely and graciously winged it while not letting Pan out of his line of sight.

Something about her dazzling smile and equally dazzling red gown confused him. Her lips were painted extremely blood red—a shade he thought might belong to his sister, but looked completely different on Pan. Nodding and excusing himself from the ambassador, Trunks continued navigating his way toward the raven-haired beauty.

_Trunks, man!_ Came a voice to him telepathically, _Stop and think about this. The whole event is televised. Press everywhere. If Medea walks in at any point and sees you dancing with Pan, she'll probably leave…_

Trunks stopped in his tracks and gulped. His head swivelled around to look at Goten, who was looking at him with concern.

The lavender-haired man nodded his thanks to his friend for the much needed situation-check. He looked back at Pan and wondered if he should approach her. Would she embarrass him by walking away or giving him a dirty look? No, she wouldn't. They were friends again, and she would cover for him if he was in a fix. They'd just had a comfortable spar on the ship just the other day...

Trunks reached into his purple tuxedo jacket for his phone. _One more try_, he told himself. He pressed the speed dial button for Medea, and brought the device to his ear. The phone rang once. Twice.

_Please pick up, Medea,_he thought to himself. Then he wondered whether he really wanted her to pick up at all. Pan was just a few feet away from him, and the prospect of going over to the raven-haired beauty and whisking her onto the dance floor had somehow become much higher on his priority list than getting in touch with Medea.

As the phone rang, Trunks noticed something odd. He removed the phone from his ear in order to concentrate better—but rather nearby to where he was standing, through the hustle and bustle and noise of the reporters and clicking cameras, Trunks could clearly hear a phone vibrating precisely in time with the rings of Medea's phone. The voice message came on, and at the same time, the nearby phone stopped vibrating.

Trunks immediately began to frantically scan the room. Was Medea in fact, already at the ball? Had she somehow escaped his notice? He was looking for a girl in a silvery-white dress… a creamy pale magnolia. Maybe in her anger toward him she had opted to wear something different?

He quickly dialled Medea's number again, figuring that he could find where she was by using his saiyan hearing to follow the soft sound of the vibrations. The phone was likely in her purse, placed against a tube of lipstick or whatnot, and hopefully he could lock in on the sound…

When Medea's phone begun to ring again, Trunks was shocked to hear the vibrations once more. He began moving toward them, and he found himself moving towards the wall of reporters that were surrounding Pan and Mr. Satan.

"…AND YOU BETTER BE THERE, NEXT YEAR, AT THE WORLD MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT, WHERE MY GRANDAUGHTER IS GOING TO KICK SOME…"

Trunks made eye contact with Pan, whose cheeks were turning a shade of red to match her dress. Pan noticed Trunks was holding a cell phone to his ear, and she suddenly realized that he could hear the vibrations of the Para Phone in her purse.

_Oh shit,_thought Pan, and she immediately excused herself from her grandfather's side, flashing one last smile at the reporters before all but running away from Trunks. Once she was hidden in the crowd of partygoers, she fished into her purse and turned the phone off.

_Bra, why didn't you tell me he could hear the vibrations of the phone?_Pan asked her friend telepathically.

_Kami, Pan! This place is insane! There are so many people here. I can't keep track of what everyone is thinking. I can barely get past all the thoughts of the men in a twenty foot radius around me who are all thinking about having sex with me in the most interesting ways. There's this one guy who looks totally normal, and he's here with his beautiful wife, but he's imagining the FREAKIEST…_

_OK, I get it. Your telepathy is useless, that's all you had to say. Thanks a lot._Pan groaned and continued through the crowd aimlessly. She spotted her parents and smiled. _Safety!_

"Papa! Mama!" Pan called out in excitement, waving her arm as she approached them. Her parents smiled and both embraced their daughter.

"Wow, Panny. Bra did a great job of fixing you up!" Videl complimented approvingly. "I remember the days when we had gruesome battles to get you anywhere near a dress."

Pan smiled weakly, "I guess I've just accepted my horrible fate."

"Oh! There's my little granddaughter!" Chi-Chi said, joining the party and embracing Pan enthusiastically, "Pan-chan, what have you been up to? You never call or come by anymore."

"I'm sorry Grandma... life has been hectic for me. I've been training."

"Training, training," scoffed Chi-Chi. "What about your profession, Pan-chan?"

"Oh... I will get back to it soon," Pan said. She noticed Goten sulking not too far away, and she ventured a small wave at him. "Hi, Uncle."

"Niece," he said, returning her wave. "Excuse me. I'm heading up to the balcony for some fresh air."

Pan's eyes drifted after him with concern, "He doesn't seem well."

"Well, with Bra smooching up that dashing young man on the dance floor, can you blame him?" Pan threw a glance over her shoulder to see Bra dancing seductively close to Cliff, and she sighed. Maybe Bra was taking it too far.

Gohan cleared his throat, and moved close to his daughter, "Panny, there's something serious I need to talk to you about. Perhaps now isn't the best time, but I hardly see you..."

"What is it, papa?" she asked with alarm.

"Many of us have sensed... something highly unusual. I know you have sensed it too." Gohan pushed his glasses up his nose nervously. "I was speaking with Krillen and 18... they're here too tonight, somewhere in the crowd. Uub has gone away to the mountains to train, and I'm thinking of joining him. I was wondering if you wanted to come along? It would interfere with your work at the hospital, of course, but as far as I know you haven't been working much there anyway."

"That sounds good, papa. I just need some time..."

Pan was cut off by a frantic Trunks appearing beside her quite suddenly: "I'm so sorry to interrupt. Gohan, Videl, do you mind if I steal Pan for a while?"

"Actually I do mind..."

"Trunks, what's the big..."

"Thanks. I'll return her soon!"

Pan felt herself being led to the dance floor and she frowned at her gentleman attacker.

"I was having a conversation with my dad, Trunks. This had better be important."

"It is important. Panny, I need you to dance with me."

"What?"

"Please, just put your hand in mine, and follow the steps. We've done them a thousand times together, since you were barely able to walk."

Pan stared at his outstretched hand sceptically, "I was already able to fly by the time you taught me how to dance, Trunks. But things were different between us then: I thought you were a nice guy."

"Panny, please. Look over there. My parents are going to kill me if you don't dance with me."

She followed his gaze and saw a very pissed off pair, both with their arms crossed across their chests. Pan giggled at the sight of Vegeta in a suit and waved at them. Bulma waved back, but Vegeta just extended his finger menacingly.

"It looks as though I've been commanded," Pan mused, looking back at Trunks and his outstretched hand. "But what about your girlfriend?"

Trunks shrugged his shoulders, struggling to conceal his disappointment with Medea. "It's not like she'll be surprised to see me dancing with you. She knows I like you better anyway."

Pan smiled, oddly satisfied with this answer. She gazed coyly into his eyes and extended her arm to place her hand in his outstretched one and accept his invitation to dance. Right before they could commence, the press ambushed them.

"Miss Son! We understand that you and Mr. Briefs are ex-lovers? What happened to ruin your wonderful relationship?"

Pan turned toward the reporters with fire in her eyes. Trunks winced, prepared for the explosion, but none came.

"Mr. Briefs and I dated for many years," she answered calmly. "It just didn't work out between us."

Trunks sighed in relief. She had it together. He smiled at the reporters as they continued to ask far-too-personal and intrusive questions. He stood amicably beside Pan, resting his hand on the small of her back as she seamlessly, smoothly lied to the reporters through her teeth.

Was she lying? It was hard even for him to tell. His old Panny... well, she was a devious little brat, but she would have gotten frustrated and run away, lied, punched someone in the face for invading her privacy, not lied...

What was different about her? Was it something he approved of, or not? He couldn't tell.

"Of course we're still friends! We've been through so much together... you wouldn't imagine," she was tactfully answering a reporter.

"What about his new girlfriend? Do you have any resentment toward her, Miss Son?"

"Absolutely not! I wish them both only the best."

It scared him. For the first time, Trunks saw the first hint that Pan had changed. There were aspects of her that he no longer knew, and he didn't even know what exactly they were.

His gaze settled again on her crimson red lips which curled in a smile as they emitted profane lies in the voice which was sweeter to him than any other in existence.

Was his little Panny becoming a femme fatale?

"No resentment at all? Didn't Mr. Briefs cheat on you, Miss Son?"

Pan's shoulders raised a fraction of an inch in a subconsciously defensive manoeuvre. Trunks felt the subtle change in her body and moved closer to her, protectively. Well, maybe she hadn't completely changed. She had just been trying to be strong and impervious to their words. She was cracking, and she was cracking fast. He cursed himself internally for putting her through this.

Although Pan's body was tensing up, her lips remained soft and she answered without hesitation:

"Trunks is a very loving and devoted boyfriend, and any girl would be lucky to have him."

"Miss Son! Miss Son! How has your friendship with Mr. Briefs been effected by the scandal? Any comment at all on Miss Medea Meadows?"

Pan's large fake smile grew larger, and her shoulders rose even more, "I really do wish them the best. I only hope that she doesn't break his heart."

Pan playfully punched Trunks in the shoulder as she said this, and he caught her wrist and smiled at her sadly.

"Miss Son! Did you have anything to do with Miss Meadows being shot?"

"Please," Trunks harshly interjected before Pan could open her mouth, "Show the lady a little respect."

Trunks pulled Pan slightly behind him protectively. "In case you weren't aware, Miss Son is the granddaughter of the Earth's saviour. Her family has saved the world countless times. She has been a hero since she was a child; she's not going to suddenly turn into a murderer over petty jealousy."

Pan felt her chest suddenly very constricted at this vehement defence, and at the realization that she _had actually_ murdered a woman over petty jealousy. Pan closed her eyes, having unknowingly tightened her grip on Trunks' hand, which she was now somehow holding. She wondered briefly to herself if Trunks had ever considered that maybe she had been behind the attack on Medea.

"Mr. Briefs, you and Miss Son still seem awfully intimate. Do you intend on continuing your physical relationship while..."

"No more questions. I owe Miss Son a dance. Please enjoy the rest of the ball."

Trunks turned and abruptly led Pan further onto the dance floor.

Pan was too distraught about the reminder of having murdered a (relatively) innocent woman to object, and soon she found herself held in two strong arms in the middle of the dance floor.

"Dende, those people are fucking miserable to ask us questions like that," he was saying through clenched teeth.

She looked up at him with concern and spoke in a low whisper.

"Trunks, you know I had nothing to do with your girlfriend being shot..."

He chuckled as he led her into a familiar dance, the steps of which she followed without even noticing.

"Panny, I do not for a second believe that if you wanted someone dead you couldn't easily accomplish the job."

The tension dissolved from her shoulders, and she found herself relaxing and naturally smiling. "I don't know why I find that to be such a flattering compliment."

"It's because you're crazy." He pulled her close as they moved across the floor, and felt a feeling of contentment spread through him. He felt completely at peace for the first time in ages. Trunks spoke softly, "I've missed this. Thanks for dancing with me, Panny."

"Well, you were going to get killed by your parents if I didn't."

"You saved my life," he told her seriously, with a small twinkle in his eye.

"Then we're even. You saved me from the press. I'd rather face a thousand super-powered villains than the press," she said with a shudder.

"Same old Panny," he said, almost with a sigh of relief. "I was worried for a minute that you were almost too smooth with them."

"Too smooth?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," he said, absent-mindedly brushing some strands of her hair off her bare shoulder, "You just weren't acting like yourself."

"And how do I normally act? Not smooth, I presume?" she asked.

"Not smooth at all," he answered gruffly. "My Panny has always been far too rough around the edges. And I love her that way."

"Trunks..." she said, a little breathlessly when she realized he was going to kiss her. In the middle of the extravagantly decorated ballroom floor, this was a fairytale she couldn't resist. She found herself staring at him in pleased surprise instead of evading his advances.

_ABORT! ABORT IMMEDIATELY, PAN! _Came a shrill shriek into her head. _Kissing my brother is not part of the plan! This will ruin everything we've worked for!_

"Kami!" Pan said, ripping herself away from Trunks right before their lips could touch. She remembered the press immediately, and covered up her blunder by moving back to Trunks and giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

She used the opportunity to whisper to him, "Trunks, we can't do this. I'm not yours anymore."

With that, she turned around and quickly found her way through the ballroom. She didn't make a dramatic exit, but a quiet and untraceable one that the reporters wouldn't notice. Once she had exited the room she immediately took to the sky. Everyone who could sense ki could sense her energy rapidly leaving the building, and the city. Trunks sighed and let his arms fall loosely to his sides.

_That's why you should let me finish my conversation with my daughter before you scare her out of the country._

_Sorry, Gohan._

Bra, who had been dancing with Cliff not too far away, excused herself from her date and angrily approached her brother, "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing, I..."

"What did you say to her, Trunks?"

"It was just..."

"Don't you understand that this is a really big event for Capsule Corp.?" Bra asked him quietly. "You're not here to cause drama, you're here to show the world that our family is wonderful and that they should feel safe investing their money with us. Can you forget about your penis for one night and do your job?"

"I shouldn't have tried to kiss her," he sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Bra, it was mom and dad who wanted me to dance with her to make it look like I had a date. The girl I asked didn't show up."

Bra's face softened, "No way. That's not possible. No one stands _my_ brother up. Why don't you try calling her again?"

"I've called her about two dozen times!"

_Are you in position, Panny?_

_Yes. Go ahead._

"Try again, Trunks."

"She won't answer."

"TRY AGAIN!"

He rolled his eyes, but he compliantly pulled out his phone and dialled Medea's number.

It rang once. Twice.

"Yes?" came a groggy voice from the other end of the line.

Trunks' eyes widened and Bra smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

"Medea!" said Trunks quickly, "I've been trying to reach you..."

"Why do I feel like I've been hit by a truck?" groaned the voice from the other end of the line.

"You're just hung over. Goten gave you about a gallon of scotch this morning..."

Bra made an inquisitive and amused face at hearing this and Trunks waved his hand to indicate that it wasn't important.

"Oh, god!" came Medea's voice. "The ball! It's tonight, isn't it? Oh! I'm so late... you must hate me!"

"It's alright," Trunks said, taking deep breaths to keep himself from yelling or seeming frazzled. "Do you think you can get dressed and make it here relatively soon? You'll probably miss dinner, but that's fine. I can send a limo for you..."

"Don't send a limo, Trunks. I can drive way faster on my own in that hybrid you gave me. OK. OK. Just give me like an hour or two, and I'll be there. I'm so sorry..."

"It's OK, Medea. It's my fault. If I hadn't neglected you..."

"Oh, Trunks! No, I'm so sorry... I had a meltdown this morning. I don't even remember what I said but I'm sure it was awful."

"I deserved all of that and worse," he said, ignoring his sister who was making a mocking gesture with her hand, clapping her thumb together with her fingers, to indicate that he was talking too much. "I'll see you soon, alright sweetheart?"

"I'll get there as soon as I can, Trunks. I can't wait to see you."

He smiled and hung up the phone. "Thanks, sis. It was a good idea to call again."

"I'm glad you won't be dateless for the evening," Bra answered with a small smirk. "I guess I'll go and check on Pan."

"What? Why do I have to stay and represent the family when you get to leave..."

Bra reached up and straightened his purple bowtie in a sisterly fashion, "Because you're the figurehead president, and I'm just the beautiful, airheaded, little sister. Toodles!"

"Bra!" he interrupted, catching her wrist as she tried to escape. "That's not fair, and you know it! What about your date?"

"Oh, him?" Bra pointed over her shoulder with her thumb at Cliff who was already surrounded by a gaggle of fawning young women. She smiled evilly, "He served his purpose. I think he's having a good time, don't you?"

"Bra Vegeta Briefs. You do not get to walk out on me now! You're as much a part of this family and this company as I am. There is no good excuse for you to leave..."

"Excuse!" She glared at him. "I have a very good reason, although you don't even deserve to hear it."

"Tell me what it is, or I won't let you leave."

"Let me?" she said in disgust. "Like you could stop me. But if you must know, brother, the reason is that _she's my friend_. Pan's my friend, Trunks, and I care about her."

"OK," he said, softening a little. "I get that. I understand that you're worried about your friend, but I'm also worried about mine. Can you check on Goten before you leave? He went up to the balcony, and he's smoking like three packs of cigarettes."

"He's doing _WHAT_?" Bra yelled a bit too loudly. She looked around sheepishly, having drawn the attention of everyone around them. She lowered her voice, "He's doing _what_?"

"Smoking. Great job on being a total bitch and bringing the one date which would annoy him the most."

Bra shook her head, "Look, Trunks, I don't know what me bringing a date has to do with Goten. In case you don't remember _he _dumped _me_ so that he could party with _you_."

"Bra, you know very well..."

"I know that Goten's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

* * *

_"Well, you see here an equipage fit to go to the ball with; are you not pleased with it?"_

_"Oh, yes," she cried; "but must I go in these nasty rags?"_

_Her godmother then touched her with her wand, and, at the same instant, her clothes turned into cloth of gold and silver, all beset with jewels. This done, she gave her a pair of glass slippers, the prettiest in the whole world. Being thus decked out, she got up into her coach; but her godmother, above all things, commanded her not to stay past midnight, telling her, at the same time, that if she stayed one moment longer, the coach would be a pumpkin again, her horses mice, her coachman a rat, her footmen lizards, and that her clothes would become just as they were before._

_She promised her godmother to leave the ball before midnight; and then drove away, scarcely able to contain herself for joy. The king's son, who was told that a great princess, whom nobody knew, had arrived, ran out to receive her. He gave her his hand as she alighted from the coach, and led her into the hall, among all the company. There was immediately a profound silence. Everyone stopped dancing, and the violins ceased to play, so entranced was everyone with the singular beauties of the unknown newcomer._

_Nothing was then heard but a confused noise of, "How beautiful she is! How beautiful she is!"_

_The king himself, old as he was, could not help watching her, and telling the queen softly that it was a long time since he had seen so beautiful and lovely a creature._

"Mommy, it's not fair! Why can't we go to the ball!" shouted Nyssa, pointing at the picture in the storybook, "I want to see the beautiful lady!"

"Hush, darling. We will go next year," said Marron with a smile. "We can't go this year because daddy is gone away, and I would have no one to dance with."

"Well, we could have gone with Grandma and Grandpa," said Olive sourly.

"No, sweetie. Grandma and Grandpa need some private time to dance together too," Marron explained.

"Why does daddy need to train more?" asked Nyssa, shaking a small fist. "He's already the strongest guy ever!"

Marron leaned forward and kissed her daughter on the forehead, "He is strong, but you never know what adventures might happen, or what monsters might come. Daddy just wants to be prepared."

"OK. Can you read us the rest of the story, momma?"

_All the ladies were busied in considering her clothes and headdress, hoping to have some made next day after the same pattern, provided they could find such fine materials and as able hands to make them._

_The king's son led her to the most honorable seat, and afterwards took her out to dance with him. She danced so very gracefully that they all more and more admired her. A fine meal was served up, but the young prince ate not a morsel, so intently was he busied in gazing on her._

"How can anyone be so pretty?"

"Well," said Marron thoughtfully. "The princess is a very good girl who always takes her bath after playing, and she always studies when it's time for schoolwork."

"Ohhhh."

* * *

"Might everyone please welcome Miss Medea Meadows!"

She stood for a moment, as all eyes turned to her. She let their curiosity and admiration wash over her like a wave before she gathered her skirt and began to descend the staircase in perfect posture.

It was late. Very late. 11:31 PM, to be precise. This was late enough that everyone was already slightly drunk on the fine champagne—some more than just slightly. The already ravishing Para appeared even more breathtaking to the collectively buzzed ballroom in her magnificent custom-made gown. Trunks quickly ascended the staircase to meet her halfway and offer her his arm.

"I'm so sorry to be so late," she said sincerely.

"Better late than never," he said. He shook his head in disbelief, "You are... by far, the most overwhelmingly beautiful woman here tonight."

"Really?" she said with a laugh, "So you can't tell that I was hung over with a murderous migraine two hours ago?"

"Medea, I can't tell that you were even here on Earth two hours ago. You look like you just came directly from heaven."

"My goodness, aren't you a perfect Prince Charming!" she laughed.

"I'm just so happy that you're here," he said, leaning towards her and giving her a gentle peck on the lips.

_Meanwhile..._

"She's late," said Bulma in her ultimate pissed-off tone.

Vegeta was also staring across the room, observing the action from his wife's side. "Bulma. Look at her. When a woman looks like that, she can afford to make a few mistakes."

"What are you saying, Vegeta?" Bulma asked in horror. "Are you saying that THAT GIRL can disrespect MY party by showing up hours late..."

"I am saying that I have never known any women who could make everyone in a room stop and stare like that other than my wife and daughter." Vegeta slipped an arm around Bulma's waist. "There's something special about her, Bulma. You have to admit it. He chose well."

"No. No. No," Bulma whispered fiercely. "You said it yourself, Vegeta. At the end of this story, Panny is going to be our daughter. Not that... that..."

"Bulma," he returned in an equally low whisper. "I know as well as you do that no one can make Pan do anything she doesn't want to do... we may have to accept that..."

"I won't accept any such thing," responded the blue-haired woman. "You're her mentor. You have to change her mind."

Vegeta shrugged helplessly, "What can I do? I made her promise that if I die she has to marry Trunks. That's about the extent of my power over her. Do you want me to go out and intentionally die so that you can get what you want? Will that make you happy, woman?"

"Don't patronize me, Vegeta!" Bulma sighed, and stared across the dance floor at the young beauty dancing with her son. She placed her chin in the palm of her hand. "I can't deny it. Medea is amazing. She might be a poor young doctor, but she carries herself like royalty. I guess she's an acceptable second choice."

Vegeta grunted something like assent. They continued to stare at the pair in silence for several minutes as Trunks took Medea aside to pour her some champagne. Bulma ran her hands along her shimmering lace gloves, feeling a bit of a chill running through her rather suddenly. She continued to stare at Medea, observing her every gesture, her every mannerism, each movement of her lips.

Bulma shoulders were seized by an involuntary shiver. Her husband moved his arm from her waist to rest around her shoulders, hugging her gently. He raised his ki ever so slightly to warm her.

"You should wear more clothing, woman."

"I'm not cold, Vegeta."

"Then why are you shaking like a leaf?"

"Just... a bad feeling. Let's call it... mother's intuition."

"Woman. What's going on in that head of yours?"

"You'll think I'm crazy. It's just..."

She took a deep breath. She began to nervously rap her fingernail against her arm, a habit of hers when she was deep in thought.

"I just can't help but feel that something isn't right with her." Bulma narrowed her eyes, "Maybe I'm just biased... I certainly can't prove anything, and believe me I've tried. I just really feel..."

"Hush, woman."

"What?"

"Be quiet for a moment."

"Why..." she was interrupted by Vegeta holding up a hand to silence her and closing his eyes.

Bulma frowned at Vegeta's sudden need for concentration and looked back to where her son was standing and sipping champagne with Medea. Goten had just joined the pair. The girl had thrown her head back and was laughing quite enchantingly at something Trunks had said. Trunks was placing his arm around Goten and sending the girl a goofy grin.

Tears suddenly came into Bulma's eyes. She didn't know why she felt so horrible to see two young people happy and in love... just having fun and enjoying themselves. What was wrong with her? Was she a bad, interfering mother?

"I sense something strange from the girl," Vegeta said, his eyes still closed. "I can't pinpoint what it is exactly."

"Oh, give it up Vegeta. She's just a wonderful, nice, normal girl who is perfectly suited to our son. It's splendid, really," Bulma prattled on in a morose tone.

"Her energy," Vegeta mused aloud. "There's nothing special about it, it blends in with everyone else's... the same weak, pathetic level. But then there are these bizarre tiny fluctuations..."

"Everything's gone to shit," Bulma muttered softly, hardly even paying attention to Vegeta. "I just wish... I wish that Goku was still here."

"What did you say?" Vegeta snapped, opening his eyes.

"Oh, this isn't the time..." Bulma replied, waving her hand, not having the patience for one of Vegeta's anti-Goku speeches.

"No. That's it. Kakkarot! That's where I've sensed this before. How could I be so stupid? How could I be such an idiot? It's just been so long..."

"What are you talking about, Vegeta?"

"When that girl laughs," Vegeta explained in a low growl, "I sense the same thing I used to sense from Kakkarot when he laughed. I never paid any attention to it before, because I knew Kakkarot was concealing a massive power, but..."

Bulma laughed, "Oh, Veggie. Don't play with me. When I said that I felt like something was wrong, I meant she was probably just using Trunks for his money. Or like, trying to get close to our family and find out our secrets so that she could..."

"Woman. I'm telling you that you were right. Something is wrong, very wrong. It's worse than you imagined. We have to do something about this, now."

"Wait, wait. Are you trying to tell me that the girl our son is dating is as strong as Goku?" Bulma giggled. "Are you trying to prank this old woman, Veggie?"

"Have I ever been a joking type of person, Bulma? I am telling you that I believe..." Vegeta took a deep breath. "I believe that girl, Medea, is _stronger_ than Kakkarot... at least in his normal state. I can't prove it, but from the exponential and sudden, but brief—almost instantaneous rise in her power when she laughs..."

The tone in Vegeta's voice, and the little bead of sweat on his temple alerted all of Bulma's nerves to his seriousness.

"Kami. Oh, Kami," Bulma spoke quietly.

"But it can't be possible," he added quickly. "There is no way that a power like that could develop right here on Earth... or anywhere in the nearby galaxies without me sensing it. I've never sensed this Medea girl with a power level anywhere beyond that which a normal, pathetic human being could achieve. Hell, her power level is so low that I can't even sense her _at all_ most of the time."

Vegeta was frowning deeply, "It just doesn't make sense..."

Bulma snapped her fingers as it suddenly hit her. The syringe. "Vegeta! Do you think some substance could possibly be used to suppress a power signal?"

The saiyan looked at his wife curiously, "Well... back when I worked for Frieza, I'd heard a story of fugitives who made a tea from a certain root which would put them to sleep so that our scouters couldn't find them. Do you mean something like that?"

"Exactly like that. Thank you, sweetie," said Bulma, leaning forward to kiss her husband on the lips. "I'm going to run to the lab and see if I can get us some evidence. I am a genius, you know."

Bulma was gone in a flash, and Vegeta turned his eyes back to his son and the suspicious girl.

"I know, woman," he muttered softly. "You wouldn't ever let me forget it."

* * *

"Here's our man! Goten, where were you? You missed half of the party," said Trunks, clapping his friend on the back.

"I hate crowds," Goten explained sheepishly.

"He was just avoiding my sister," Trunks explained to Para. "She was here earlier with a handsome date, and Goten nearly had a coronary."

"I wouldn't put it that way," Goten said with a frown. "I just thought some fresh air would be nice. You look beautiful tonight, Medea."

"Thank you, Goten," she answered, wrinkling her nose, "You... smell terrible tonight."

"I was out on the balcony, and everyone was smoking," he explained, clearing his throat to conceal the fact that he too had been partaking of the habit. "I'm really sorry about getting you drunk this morning."

"You weren't at all responsible for me making an ass of myself," Para responded with a grin.

"I take complete responsibility," Goten objected.

"Goten doesn't really have much tact or skill with women," Trunks explained. "He wasn't lucky enough to grow up with a sister like I did. Having a sister teaches you a lot about how to deal with women."

Para had just taken a sip of her champagne and she promptly erupted in laughter. "Is that so, Trunks?"

"Most definitely. I think I read it in a study somewhere," Trunks said, still with one arm around Goten affectionately. "Guys that grow up with more women in their household learn very quickly how to treat women the way they want to be treated. I think I should thank my sister for my good manners with the ladies, although she doesn't have any herself."

Para briefly made a face, but continued to smile and chuckle, "So you practiced being a good boyfriend on your sister?"

"Don't make it sound like that! But yeah… I guess I learned a bit of what women want from researching Bra over the years."

"What do you think she would say about your brothering skills?"

"Well," Trunks said, pausing for a moment to consider that. "I don't think she wants me dead, at least."

_Not without being tortured first, as dad would say_, Para mused to herself as she took another swig of champagne.

"MR. PRESIDENT! YOOHOO!" called out a booming female voice from across the room.

"Oh, shit," Trunks said softly, as a gigantic blimp of a woman made her way over to him.

Para and Goten both laughed at the horrified look on his face.

"MR. PRESIDENT, COME AND DANCE WITH ME, BABY!" shouted the woman, extending an arm that was heavily encrusted with diamond bracelets.

"Dende save me," Trunks muttered, straightening his bow tie. "Goten, take care of Medea for me. Don't let anyone steal her. Business calls."

Trunks threw his arms out and gave the woman a large fake smile, "WHY, DUCHESS! WHAT A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU AGAIN!"

Para and Goten both laughed riotously at Trunks' misfortune as he was swept up onto the dance floor by the massive giantess.

After several minutes of breathless chuckles, Goten was able to calm himself and smirk at Para, "Medea, I think this is our chance."

"Our chance?" she asked him in a conspiratorial tone.

Goten extended his arm in a gentlemanly manner, "You promised you'd save a dance for me."

She smiled and placed her arm in his, deftly disposing of her champagne glass. "How naughty, Goten. Trunks asked you to keep anyone from stealing me, and you decided to steal me yourself."

He guided her onto the dance floor, and swept her up into the music with a carefree Son grin. "How could I resist sneaking in a dance with the most beautiful girl here?"

She smirked at him playfully, but her nostrils were being assaulted by the strong scent of cigarette smoke on Goten. After a few seconds, she was able to ignore it and she allowed him to lead her across the floor in a dizzying and romantic dance. She found herself laughing and feeling lightheaded, and she remembered that she did very much enjoy dancing.

"I don't care what Trunks says—I think you have an amazing way with women, Goten."

"Don't let him hear you say that," Goten said with a smile. "Sometimes it's best to let Trunks think he's best at whatever the competition is we're in. He takes it much harder than I do when he loses. I'm used to losing to him, anyway."

Para reached up and brushed a strand of hair off Goten's cheek, "But if you keep losing like that... you might eventually forget that you're just as good as he is, maybe even better."

The song ended, and the couple stopped dancing and just stared at each other for a moment. Goten's eyes burned into Para's questioningly, as though her words had been more insightful to him and meaningful than she could imagine.

She smiled when he gently lifted her wrist and kissed her hand. He looked at her sincerely before speaking, "Medea, it was worth it to me to come here tonight just to get the chance to dance with you. I was having a miserable evening—hell, maybe the most miserable evening of my life, until this dance. Thank you."

"Oh, Goten..." she said, smiling at him affectionately. "You're too sweet."

Para felt a strong urge to kiss Goten, and disappointment when she knew she couldn't do such a thing so publicly. _It's not time yet, Bra, _she told herself. But to satisfy her yearning to get close to him, she moved to place a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for the dance, Goten," she said softly. "You've made my evening better too. Can you promise me one thing?"

"Anything, Medea," he said softly, enjoying the feeling of holding her close.

"Please stop smoking," she asked him quietly. "It really hurts me to see... or rather, to smell that you've been smoking. I care for you a great deal, Goten."

He nodded slowly, "I will try my best... I just... needed it for stress relief earlier tonight."

"There's always an excuse," she said.

Trunks suddenly interrupted them, with a deep frown and an angry whisper, "At least you two got to enjoy yourselves! I was practically suffocating in the immense mounds of flesh resembling breasts which belong to the Duchess. I don't even remember what exactly she's the Duchess _of_; I just know that she's important and rich. Why does my life have to be this way?"

"Poor Trunks," said Para with a laugh, rubbing his shoulder in mock consolation. "Your job only consists of going to a big party, and still you complain."

"I guess when you put it that way..."

"You two enjoy yourselves," said Goten with a smile. "I think I'm going to go grab some refreshments... and maybe check out the snack bar."

* * *

"You're never going to believe this, Vegeta."

"What is it, woman?"

Bulma had returned to the ballroom quickly, and she was out of breath and looking terrified. Despite the fact that her two-hour hairdo was coming undone, and that her gown had slipped off one shoulder, Bulma's voice was calm as ever.

"Do you remember that syringe we found Medea using to inject herself with in the bathroom?"

"Yes."

"Well, she accidentally left it here in her rush to leave, and there was a single drop remaining in the container. I sent it to the lab to get it tested."

"She said it was a painkiller. Was it?" he asked.

"No," Bulma screwed up her face. "Well, not in the traditional sense. I was trying and _trying_ to identify it for so long until..."

"Get to the point, woman."

"The point is... she was injecting herself with... elephant tranquilizer."

"What?"

"Elephant. Tranquilizer."

Vegeta stared at his wife speechlessly for several minutes.

"It's called Etorphine, or M99, and one drop of it is enough to kill a person," Bulma explained in a rapid whisper. "One drop, Vegeta. One drop of that liquid would have killed me, or any human being in this room."

"Meaning what, woman? Was she intending to kill one of us by putting that in our food or catching us unaware?"

"No," Bulma answered softly. "I considered that, that she was an assassin of sorts. I had them test the insides of the syringe, and the needle... they found residue indicating that the syringe had been COMPLETELY FULL of that poison, and they also found reside of blood. Vegeta... that girl injected the whole DAMNED..."

"Lower your voice," said Vegeta, in a quieter tone than she had ever heard him use.

Bulma took a deep breath, "She injected the _whole syringe_ filled with Etorphine into her bloodstream. Any human, any creature I know of... even a saiyan, I think, would be dead. She's... she's not human, is she?"

"No," Vegeta said in a hushed tone. "She can't possibly be human."

Bulma stared at her husband in fear for a moment, reaching out to touch his hand. "Vegeta... what are we going to do?"

He squeezed her hand gently in his, running his thumb over her fingers gently. He exhaled. "First of all, we need to evacuate. Pull the fire alarm; get all these innocent people out of here. Second of all, I'm going to gather the Z-team, and we'll confront her. We'll figure out who or what she is, and what exactly it is that she wants. We'll do this tonight."

"Oh! The fire alarm... must I? But my lovely party..."

"Bulma!"

"Alright, alright, fine," she said, throwing her hands up. She headed into the building to pull the fire alarm from a secluded location.

When the fire alarm started roaring loudly enough to make everyone want to flee from the building just to save their ears from the deafening ringing, Vegeta gazed at the "Medea" girl who was escaping the room hand-in-hand with his son.

He spoke in a normal calm voice, which was drowned out in the frenzied ringing of the fire alarm.

"And third, I'm going to kill that little bitch."

* * *

Awww, Vegeta, ol' chap! Can't we all just get along?

Hehehe. Thankies to the following folks:

* * *

**famoso:** I'm so glad that you got what I was trying to do with the dream sequence. Your guess as to why Pan was so ill is really, really good. (Tranquilizers) You always guess what I'm going to do with this story! It might be a little of that... and a little of something else! Hehehe. That's going to be a really important element of the story in a few chapters.

**Zi-Dawg:** I agree, it was definitely a dick move. *nod* That scene was HORRIBLE to write, by the way. It was almost impossible to make it bad enough to warrant revenge, yet gentle enough to leave room for possible forgiveness. You guessed it! The date was Mr. Satan. Hehe. )

**mumz3l-Neskouiik-Bura:** Correct!

**Leecassi:** I'm so glad you liked the little spoiler. =) You mentioned that Bra's ability to read minds makes things more interesting. It makes it really fun to write it too! Unfortunately, it was Hercule... but that's not really the important part. =) Oh, and thanks for getting that the dream was a dream!

**LNCrow:** I can't believe that's your new favorite chapter, lol! It's like my least favorite because of how dark and miserable it is! But as long as you like it, I'm happy. =)

**Unknown One:** Well, Android 17 would probably have made a better (sexier) date, but I decided to go this route instead. Hope you liked it!

**hot4dbz:** I wish I could be a saiyan vampire mermaid toooooo! Yup, you're right! It was Mr. Satan. Hehehe. And Pan's dreams are definitely clues to the future. =) The story you recommended is really wonderful! "Stolen Youth" by Debs Dragon... very dark and angsty, it's hard to read it. I guess now I know how I make my readers feel, lol.

**Desjanae:** I hope you liked it!

**dbzchic62789:** You're right, some more Vegeta action on the spaceship would have been nice. But don't worry, we'll get plenty in chapters to come!

**PaintedinAllColors:**I AM SO GLAD that you thought that chapter actually REDEEMED Goten instead of condemning him further! He really IS trying to do the right thing, but it's so messed up! AGHHHH! Hehehe, thank you for your review. I really liked your lemon, by the way. Great job on it! OH! I just realized that it was your review that said you didn't realize that Pan was dreaming when she told Trunks all the things. Don't worry, it was just a dream! :D

**Suzki:** I'm so sorry, but I had to let her walk in there with him! Pan has a very different plan for making Trunks jealous, which should be much more effective.

**Kickstartmyhart:** Don't worry, I won't kill him... YET! Muwhahah! Just kidding. Hope you liked the chapter!

**KKH913:** So glad you liked it!

**June:** Thank you!

**ArialChaos:** Thank you for your interesting comments on the story. You're right, the boys will definitely have a hard time forgiving the girls... if it's even possible! I liked your observations on Bulma. You were right about her discovering what was in the needle at the ball. =)

**Arian:** Awwww, your review was so sweet! I loved the way you put it about Goten just needing to admit he was good enough. =) I tried to include a bit of that in this chapter too when Para was dancing with him. Thanks for your lovely feedback, as always!

**PannyChanBriefs:** Your review. Omg. *hug* This was one of those reviews that make me think that everything is worthwhile. Thank you, thank you! You wrote: "I love in so many ways how much your stories remind me of DB. From the siller exchanges between characters, and the cannonness of the characters, down to always ending on an uber horrible suspenseful note (you're *much* better at this than Akira Toriama x)." This made me pretty much cry tears of joy! Feel free to bother me on FB for snippets or previews anytime, or just to force me to write, lol.

**Ashley:** I'm glad you got the dream fakeout thingy too! Thanks for your sweet review!

**Talk Smith Kid:** Don't worry, I won't be leaving this for 9 years, lol. =) I am far too excited about it! I'll feel pretty sad when it's over too, it's my baby. =(

**mali86:** Thank you!

**Janimes:** Don't worry, it will work itself out!

**mossgrl615:** Sorry for being evil. =) Hope you liked it!

**:** Hope you enjoyed it!

**Supersaiyan2479:** Thank you for the lovely, long, in depth review! What you said about Duo-fusion is very interesting, and I have read about it before in one story. Theoretically it is possible, and one character in my story will actually experience it. We'll find out about this in two chappies or so! I bet you'll never guess who! =D

**Shahi:** I really like the song you suggested! I think I know of a good place to insert it. I was intending to put a song in the next chapter, but I'm considering not putting it in there after all. Thanks for your sweet reviews. =)

**Lory Manzanita:** Thanks for your feedback on the cliffy! So glad you like it. =)

**Michelle1Lauren:** I hope I can rise to the occasion and continue to entertain you! Good luck with your studies. =)

**VidelChan313:** Sorry about that cliffy, it was just a good place to end it. Hehe. =) Thanks for your feedback!

**ScarlettRose4Love:** You are so, so kind to sign up for an account and leave a review! It makes me so happy to hear that you've been enjoying my story. I've been writing fanfics since I was about your age, and all I can tell you is to write, write, write, read lots, and write some more! Your stories will be amazing, I'm sure of it. =)

**huxiz360:** Yup, you're right! It's Mr. Satan, that crazy old guy just won't die! Lol.

* * *

Leave a review and make me smile!


	19. An Unknown Threat

_Chapter Nineteen: An Unknown Threat_

Thanks for staying with me, guys. Your reviews motivate and uplift me. This story would be nothing without you.

I really hope you like this chapter.

The song is "My Favorite Game" by the Cardigans. The uncensored music video for that song is pretty cool—a girl puts a rock on her accelerator and drives at top speed down a highway in the wrong lane, causing tons of people to crash. She even sits on top of the car and drives with her high heel for a bit. She also runs over a few people. Eventually she gets killed. Possible parallels with Para? We'll see!

~PanHopeNvs (Nadia Scrieva)

* * *

_I don't know what you're looking for_  
_you haven't found it baby, that's for sure_  
_You rip me up and spread me all around_  
_in the dust of the deed of time_

* * *

"Do you think there's really a fire?" Para yelled in confusion. She was trying desperately to read minds to lock in on the reason for the disturbance.

"Of course not," Trunks yelled back in response, "Even if there was, this building is state of the art and it would be contained in seconds."

Para raised her hands to her ears, her doubly sensitive saiyan ears, which were ringing in pain.

"Come on," said Trunks, taking her by the hand and leading her in the opposite direction from that which the crowd was moving in. "Let's go and relax upstairs until this calms down."

"What?" she asked. Over the deafening noise of the fire alarm, and the deafening panicked thoughts of everyone around her, Para couldn't concentrate at all.

Trunks, seeing that she was in distress, put his arms around her and quickly blurred into the air and out of the crowd. He was upstairs in his bedroom in under a second, and no one had been able to see him move.

"You can't hear it in here," Para mused, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Nope. My own little moonlit sanctuary," he joked, moving over to the bed and plopping down on it. The room was not only quiet, but it was also dark—only the dim moonlight from the window streamed in to illuminate the shapes of the furniture.

"That noise was so loud," Para complained again, rubbing her head. She had no idea why her head ached so much—she figured that it must be her telepathy going haywire. She had been inside of hundreds of deafening explosions in her lifetime, and none had given her a headache like this fire alarm.

"You must still be hung over," Trunks said with a laugh. He stretched out his arms to her, "Here, come cuddle with me. I'll hold you until the headache goes away."

"What girl could resist an invitation like that?" she asked him with a smile, before launching herself at him.

"Oh, boy. It's difficult to cuddle in this gown," she immediately noted.

He laughed, and encircled her waist with his hands, "I'll give it a try anyway."

Para rested her forehead against Trunks' chest. She closed her eyes and exhaled in contentment. It was the first peaceful moment she'd had since entering the ballroom. Thousands of thoughts from thousands of people had inundated her and screwed with her telepathy so that she had been unable to focus on the people she truly wanted to hear. She had unconsciously done everything in her power to try and temporarily turn off the telepathy altogether. It had been challenging as Bra, but even harder as Para.

Now, all she could think about was how much better it felt to lie here with Trunks than anything else she had done lately. She could have stayed there all night, forever even, but she only had a few more minutes. It was torture to think that she'd have to let go of him. He was everything to her. Her pain, her passion, her tranquility. She was entirely too weak to enjoy being with him when she was Pan, but as Para... she felt strong, and whole. She was a newborn. A badass newborn. She could experience love as though it were fresh.

"Medea," Trunks said softly against her ear, "I've been thinking about what you said..."

She tried to read his thoughts, but it only caused more pain inside of her head, and she immediately stopped trying. _I guess I need to communicate in the old fashioned way until this headache goes. That's what I get for lying about being hung over! A real headache and broken telepathy!_

"What did I say?" she asked, nuzzling against his neck.

"Well... earlier today when you were drunk, you said that I was treating you like you were second best in comparison to Pan... and you were right."

"Oh, it was just drunken rambling," she said lightly, running her fingers down the folds of his lapels. She smiled inwardly. It was immensely comforting to know that the only person Trunks would betray her for, this time around, was herself.

"No, you were right," he said, moving his hand to the back of Para's neck and gently caressing the skin there, "I realized it tonight during the ball. Pan was here earlier, and we had a dance together. Then she left. She just walked out on me, when I most needed her. She knows that I hate these types of events!"

Para felt guilt tickle her conscience. Yes, she had known that. She had known that very well. Trunks had always been a total wreck before and after company social events, and she had done all in her power to keep him together.

"You... hate these types of events?" Para asked him, pretending to be innocent of the fact. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself."

"At least I fake it well." Trunks removed himself from their intimate embrace, and walked to the window of his room. He stared down at the crowd gathered on the lawn. Everyone was shouting and pointing at the building, still dressed in their finery. There was mass chaos and panic about the fire alarm.

Trunks placed his hands on the windowsill and leaned forward slightly. "This is not who I am. This job is _not_ who I am! Pan is the only one who understood that, the only one who knew truly knew me! And she just... walked out on me. I was all alone for hours in there. Every year... she's always been beside me..."

"I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the ball sooner," Para said softly. "If I had known you were so miserable I would have tried..."

"You made it here in the end. You're here with me now. That's all that matters."

Para gazed at her brother as he stood despondently by the window. The moonlight illuminating his silhouette made him seem even sadder. She felt compelled to go over to him, and when she stood behind him, she put her arms around his waist and hugged him gently from behind.

She rested her cheek on his back, listening to his strong heartbeat. "Who are you, Trunks? You said your job is not who you are. Then tell me who you really are."

"I am a warrior."

She closed her eyes and blissfully basked in the simplicity of his answer and how it resonated within her. Of course, she could not tell him just how much and how deeply she understood. She could only hold him.

"I'm not like Gohan," he said gruffly. "I wish I was. I can't turn it on and off when necessary. I need it all the time to feel alive."

"Then seek it all the time, Trunks," she encouraged. "I know you and Goten have been training at a dojo. Doesn't that make you happy?"

"Yes, but... the level at which we train the students is so low. If I could somehow find a way to make them understand how to use their ki... but it's impossible." Trunks inhaled deeply and exhaled again, and Para felt his diaphragm expanding and contracting under her hands.

"Surely if you tried..."

"I don't know. I haven't had a very large circle of close friends in my life for this reason. No one understands me, or knows who I am and what I've seen. It just hurts more than anything to be avoided and ignored by those closest to me. She just walked out on me."

_I'm right here, Trunks. Can't you feel that it's me, silly? _A small smile came to Para's lips, and she nuzzled her cheek against his back gently. "Maybe she had a good reason."

Trunks turned around very suddenly, and gripped Para by the shoulders, staring directly into her eyes. "Medea, do you know where I've been all week? I took a spaceship to a planet about three days away from here because Pan and my father were training there, and they'd beat each other half to death. If I hadn't gotten there when I did, they both would have been dead. I saved her life. And yet she walks out on me."

"I'm sure that if your _life _was at stake, she wouldn't have let you burn either," Para said slowly. Then she regretted saying 'burn' because it almost implied that she knew the planet had been hot. She had to choose her words carefully. "Maybe Pan just didn't think that supporting you at the ball was a _life or death_ situation."

Trunks shook his head, almost tightening his grip on Para's shoulders. "No. Look. The truth is that I was not good to Pan. I cheated on her. I cheated on her BECAUSE of my stupid job. But I tell you what. She abandoned me... she continues to abandon me every time I reach out to her. And that's got to be just as bad as what I did. I would NEVER..."

Trunks raised his voice angrily, "I would NEVER abandon someone I love!"

Para stared at him in wide-eyed surprise as her guilt stopped tickling and began to gnaw at her. "I'm sorry, Trunks..."

Trunks released her shoulders from his vice-grip and pulled her close. He began to gently trace his fingers over Para's face in the moonlight. "It's not your fault, sweetheart. I must just deserve this. You're going to abandon me too, before long, won't you?"

_Yes, I am. _Para swallowed, feeling very small and exposed under his intent gaze. _How can I lie to you and tell you that I won't? _She moved closer to him, pressing her body against his and looking up at him comfortingly._The exact same way you lied to me, although it hurts me to be so duplicitous._

"Trunks, I'm very young, and I don't know myself as well as you know yourself. I'm not at a very stable point in my life... it's a very rocky moment in time for me. But I promise I will be as loyal as I can be, and there for you as much as I can be. I will always be faithful to you, and kind, and I will always listen when you need me to."

"Thank you, Medea." He held her close, breathing in the scent of her hair. "But that's not how women work. If I make one mistake, you're out the door... but I really wish I could believe you."

"I understand if you don't," she answered. _I have plenty of time to make you love me. Plenty of half-hours._

"Even my sister abandoned me. I tried to ask her to stay tonight, without being explicit that I _needed _her to stay, but she just went off. Where is she? It's like she's dropped off the face of the planet."

_Kami. _Para realized that her telepathy had been malfunctioning so much that she hadn't even realized when she had been speaking to her brother earlier that he had needed her. _But even if I had understood that he needed me, I wouldn't have been able to stay. I would have had to leave for the plan to work. Maybe I could have said something nicer to him at least..._

Para said, "I really regret that I couldn't come to the ball earlier and get a chance to meet Bra. I've heard so much about her from you and Goten."

"It's probably for the best she didn't get to see you in that dress," he answered. "I wish I could say I'd introduce you to her, but I have no idea when she'll ever be around. Bra and I used to be so close. I mean, we'd fight and bicker a lot, but we spent a lot of time together, and the love was there. Now... she's not on my side anymore. It's like... her love for Pan was greater than her love for me."

_True. Family isn't always about blood. We have an alliance, just like you and Goten have an alliance. And this is WAR, even if you two don't realize it! _Para moved closer to him, massaging his back comfortingly._But I guess I do owe you some quality sibling time. Maybe a little bit of time to catch up wouldn't hurt, and it would be good for us both._

"Oh, Trunks. Don't mope so. Of course your sister still loves you! I'm sure she was just temporarily pissed at you for something, and soon enough things will go back to the way they were. Why don't you invite her to lunch or something of the sort next week?"

_Your treat, of course._

"That's a good idea, I'll try that. I really miss her."

_I'll choose a really expensive place and order the most expensive dishes on the menu._

"I'm sure you'll see her again soon and patch things up," Para said with a smile, hugging Trunks gently around the waist. _Yay! I get a free lunch out of this._

"I hope so."

Little did Para or Trunks know that something was about to happen which would change everything and make their little lunch date impossible. It would be a very, very long time before anyone saw Bra again.

* * *

_And this is not a case of lust, you see_  
_it's not a matter of you versus of me_  
_It's fine the way you want me on your own_  
_but in the end it's always me alone_

* * *

"Did you find the girls?" Vegeta asked.

"I flew by Pan's apartment and Bra's house," Gohan said. "They weren't there, and I can't sense them anywhere else. They don't want to be found."

"Maybe it's for the best," Goten said. "Pan has a temper, and I don't really want her to meet Medea. She might hurt or kill her in a jealous rage."

"You would know all about jealous rage, wouldn't you, Goten?" Chi-Chi asked coyly.

Goten rolled his eyes.

Android 18 returned then, followed shortly by Uub. Uub wore a deep frown on his face as he walked forward to join the saiyan men and their wives.

"Do you really think that this could be related to a future threat?" Uub asked, "I don't sense anything unusual."

"Trust us," said Bulma firmly. "It was serious enough to ruin my party and for us to send Eighteen to get you."

Krillen returned then with a strange look on his face. "I don't know, guys. It's kind of late to gather the WHOLE team. I rang Yamcha's doorbell but there was no answer. The lights were off too. I think he's sleeping and I didn't want to wake him up."

"Who needs that weak idiot!" Vegeta roared. "He is irrelevant."

"There _is_ a lot of jealous rage going around these days," Chi-Chi commented, earning a death glare from Vegeta.

"Just because he says it in a mean way doesn't mean it isn't true," Krillen muttered softly. "Well, I guess this is all of us. Should we call in the lady of the hour?"

"Yes," Gohan answered. "How do we approach this? Should we ask her politely to explain?"

"Oh dear Dende, Gohan!" Videl said in exasperation. "We need to trick her. Someone has to send a ki ball at her, and we'll see how much damage it does."

"A very, very weak ki ball," said Goten with a frown. "She's not very strong, trust me."

"I'll do it!" said Vegeta enthusiastically, leering and cracking his knuckles.

"Uhhhh, how about no?" said Krillen. "You'll fry the poor girl. Let me do it, I can control myself."

"That's a good idea," said Android 18. "My husband is weak enough to send an attack that won't kill her if she is just a normal human being."

"Hey! I resent that."

* * *

_And I'm losing my favourite game_  
_you're losing your mind again_  
_I'm losing my baby_  
_losing my favourite game_

* * *

"I made one mistake, Medea. And everyone just turned on me."

"What do you mean?" Para asked, with a quick glance at her watch. _Twelve minutes. Plenty of time._

"My sister chose her, my dad chose her... and my mother fired me."

"From a job you hate."

"That's not the point! My balance has been all upset. I was in a comfortable rhythm."

"Comfortable rhythm..." Para said slowly, and angrily. She closed her eyes to suppress the anger. Trunks was complaining about the DISCOMFORT that his mistake had cost him, when it had cost her immeasurable pain. She could hardly stand any more of his selfish complaining.

Bra remembered dating a human boy in high school who was a bit of a hypochondriac. If anything would slightly go wrong with his body he would be convinced that he was dying. Bra had worried for him at first, knowing the human body is much frailer than the saiyan body and much more prone to illness. But on her 10th visit to the emergency room in a year, she was beginning to get the idea that it was more of a psychological problem and need for attention than anything else.

Her brother's whining now reminded her of that. If she were in her normal body, she would have put her hands on her hips and harshly told him to, _"Suck it up, Princess!"_

But for the sake of her plan, she had to console him, and make him feel loved, and act like his problems were the worst in the world.

"I know how... damaging it can be to have your rhythm upset. Balance is a difficult thing to find in life, and so precious to hold onto when you have it." She stroked his arm soothingly.

"I'm sorry to complain to you so much... but here is my main point: Pan was my anchor, for many years," he admitted. "For much longer than I realized. Even when I was a teenager, and she was just a little girl..."

His ki rose a little with a sudden outburst, "Kami, Medea! If you could only have seen the way she looked up at you with those big round eyes, and begged you to fight with her. She was full of energy and life, more than anyone I had ever known. If only you could have seen the surprising way a five-year-old girl was able to make Goten scream in pain!"

Para stared at him in wonder as he chuckled lightly in memory.

"I'm sorry, I'm rambling again," he said apologetically. "I just meant to say that even back then, Pan was my inspiration. So you can see, I'm really far more attached to her than it's healthy for any person to be attached to another person..."

"It's only unhealthy when things go wrong," she told him.

"Well, things have gone wrong," Trunks said, his smile disappearing. "I'm ready to give up on her completely. That's what I wanted to tell you. I've depended on her for over twenty years, and she's been everything to me. But I'm ready to let go of her and move on. Life changes, and if she can let go of me... then I can let go of her just as easily."

Para didn't realize her hands were shaking until Trunks reached out to grasp one of them. "I want you to know, Medea... you never have to worry about me prioritizing Pan over you again."

"I..." she took a deep breath. _This is a good thing, Para. A good thing. Remember? _She closed her eyes, and chose to echo his earlier words. "I wish I could believe you."

_I'll "fall" for you when you fall for me. _Para thought to herself. She knew the day was coming soon.

Trunks smiled at her. "Thank you for being here with me tonight. You are a jewel amongst all this chaos."

Para smiled back at him. When he leaned towards her for a kiss, this time she willingly accepted. She pressed her body against his with all the passion she had felt since she had danced with him earlier in her normal body. She gave him the kiss that she had wanted to give him then... and then some. They were in private after all.

Trunks returned the kiss with all the desire he had wished to kiss Pan with earlier as well. And then some. He did feel particularly affectionate toward Para, appreciating that she was willingly his, and not running away from him. It was comfortable and it was easy, even if it wasn't perfect.

As the kiss caused his mind to relax and the tension to ease out of his body, he realized that it was pretty close to perfect. Maybe, in the moonlight which streamed into his room, he could lose himself in the sensations and just feel...

Trunks suddenly straightened and pulled away from the kiss as a voice came into his mind. _Trunks. Listen, son. I want you to come down to the ballroom now. Bring the girl. We have something serious to discuss._

Trunks groaned and hit himself in the head. "I'm sorry, Medea. My dad's summoning us downstairs. Duty calls I guess. They probably got the fire alarm all sorted out."

Para had only heard part of the message, but Vegeta's telepathic voice sounded stern. She glanced at her watch. "Maybe I should go home, I'm pretty tired. I have a long day tomorrow."

"The ball will probably continue for a few hours at least. Sure you don't want to come downstairs with me?"

"No, I really need to head home. I still have a bit of a headache."

"That sucks. You were only at the ball for a few minutes really."

"I didn't come for the ball. I came for you."

Trunks smiled, and leaned forward to taste her lips again. "Even if it was just a few minutes, you made a huge impression on everyone. You'll be all over the papers tomorrow in that gown."

She smiled and returned his soft kisses. Trunks threaded his arms around her waist and pulled her close, using his tongue to gently prod her lips open.

_TRUNKS! There is no time for you to have a quickie. Come down here NOW!_

Para and Trunks jumped apart as though Vegeta had walked in on them kissing. As though Vegeta had walked in on Trunks and Bra kissing, to be precise. Para had a little shudder at the thought. _But at least I heard all of Vegeta's thought. Maybe my telepathy is working again._

_And bring the girl with you! _Vegeta's voice came again.

_What is it, father? She's pretty tired; how about I come downstairs and let her go home?_

_It is mandatory that you BRING HER!_

_Why, dad?_

_Just do it. This is serious._

"My dad wants us both to go downstairs. Some discussion or something. I'm sorry to keep you, but is it alright if you humor him?"

She glanced at her watch. "Sure. It's OK, but I can't stay very long. Just a few minutes to make your dad happy."

* * *

_The king's son was always by her, and never ceased his compliments and kind speeches to her. All this was so far from being tiresome to her, and, indeed, she quite forgot what her godmother had told her. She thought that it was no later than eleven when she counted the clock striking twelve. She jumped up and fled, as nimble as a deer. The prince followed, but could not overtake her. She left behind one of her glass slippers, which the prince picked up most carefully. She reached home, but quite out of breath, and in her nasty old clothes, having nothing left of all her finery but one of the little slippers, the mate to the one that she had dropped._

_The guards at the palace gate were asked if they had not seen a princess go out. They replied that they had seen nobody leave but a young girl, very shabbily dressed, and who had more the air of a poor country wench than a gentlewoman._

"That's awful, mommy! Why did she have to change back to regular at midnight?"

"She was still the exact same girl, Nyssa. The only thing that changed were her fancy clothes and jewels."

"But why did they all have to change?"

Marron wrinkled her brow, "Because magic has rules. It can't last forever."

"Why?"

"Well, if it lasted forever, it wouldn't be magic. It would just be... real."

* * *

_I only know what I've been working for_  
_another you so I could love you more_  
_I really thought that I could take you there_  
_but my experiment is not getting us anywhere_

_I had a vision I could turn you right_  
_a stupid mission and a lethal fight_  
_I should have seen it when my hope was new_  
_my heart is black and my body is blue_

* * *

Para walked into the ballroom with Trunks, descending the stairs while holding his arm. There was silence. No music was playing. Most of the Z-fighters were gathered there, but no other party guests. Even Uub was there, and Para knew that he had been off training in the mountains not long ago.

_Dende. Something's really wrong._

With each step that she took down the stairs she felt her tension grow, and the smile disappeared from her face.

"HOLY CRAP! WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE?" Krillen asked suddenly, pointing behind the couple.

Para and Trunks quickly turned in the direction he had pointed, but finding nothing there, they turned back to face Krillen in confusion. Krillen still had his finger pointed. Everyone in the ballroom was frozen, with shocked looks on their faces.

Para absent-mindedly moved a hand up to scratch her shoulder, "What? I didn't see anything."

What she hadn't seen was that Krillen had fired a small ki blast directly at her from his finger in the instant she had turned away. It had hit her squarely in the shoulder, but she had hardly noticed it, other than a light itching sensation in the area.

"That proves it!" shouted Krillen. "That proves it!"

"That proves nothing," said Vegeta, although a vein in his forehead was throbbing. "That attack was so weak that even a normal human wouldn't have felt it."

"Attack?" Para asked softly, trying to restrain herself from freaking out. _Why can't I read their minds?_ "Trunks, what's going on here?"

"Quit playing innocent, girl. We know who you are!" Vegeta shouted.

_Shit, _she thought to herself. _This is bad. How am I going to lie my way out of this one? In front of everyone?_

Vegeta suddenly extended his arm and fired a large ki beam directly at Para.

She froze, trying to decide between blocking the blast, taking the blast and playing dead, or sending her own ki blast back. How much did Vegeta know exactly?

She was so frozen that the ki beam would have certainly hit her, but at the last second Trunks dove in front of her and swatted away the blast. It exited the wall of the ballroom, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. "What the hell are you doing, dad?"

"Get away from her, boy."

"Vegeta! Can you be a little more careful, please?" Bulma demanded. She pointed at the damage angrily, "You totally destroyed that wall."

Para closed her eyes and tried to focus her telepathy to read Vegeta's thoughts. However, she kept picking up the signals from all of the minds of the Z-fighters at the same time.

The thoughts were all very similar. _Is she a new enemy? Is she related to the new enemy? A henchman? How strong is she? Am I strong enough to defeat her? Is my family safe?_

"Are you alright, Medea?" Trunks was asking gently. "It's OK... don't let my dad scare you."

"What's going on?" she asked, hyperventilating slightly. "I want to go home. Take me home, right now, Trunks."

"I'll tell you what's going on, Medea," said Bulma, walking forward, her hands on her hips. "You left your syringe here when you came over for dinner. I had the contents tested. "

Para turned to look at Bulma in surprise. _Dende. Dende, I'm ruined. Mom took it to the lab. She figured it out. Aghhh!_

"Well then, girl," Vegeta growled. "Looks like your ruse is up. We all know what you've been hiding."

"No! Wait! It's OK!" said Trunks, turning to Para. "Don't worry. I accept you. It's OK. Whatever you're addicted to, whatever drug it is... we can work through this together."

Para gave him an odd look.

Uub interjected, "Vegeta, are you sure about her? She seems really sweet and innocent."

"OF COURSE I'M SURE, IMBECILE!" the saiyan roared. "ELEPHANT TRANQUILIZER! She's been taking substantial doses of ELEPHANT TRANQUILIZER to conceal her true power level, and to play my son for a FOOL!"

_Shit, shit, shit, shit._

Para remained perfectly still and expressionless. Every possible worst-case scenario ran through her mind. How could she get out of this situation? Her initial instinct was to just use Instant Transmission and get the hell away from everyone, but that wouldn't work. It would be revealing that she knew an extremely signature technique that only Pan knew, in addition to running away and making her look guilty for things she wasn't even guilty for. She needed to be calm and face them.

How bad was this? As far as she had been able to read, so far... not one single person was thinking of the word "fusion." That was the one word that would truly destroy her.

_Well, I didn't think I could keep up the game forever, did I? I just thought... I thought I could last long enough to make my revenge-goals. I haven't accomplished anything by being Para yet... well, not with respect to revenge._

There was a long silence in the ballroom before Trunks began to laugh.

"Elephant tranquilizer?" Trunks shook his head at his parents, "That's a good one! I'm pretty sure that stuff would be powerful enough to kill a..."

When he realized that no one else was laughing and he saw the expression on Para's face, he swallowed. Trunk frowned and stared at Para searchingly, in confusion, "Is this true?"

She made eye contact with Trunks briefly, before looking away guiltily. Para sighed and stepped down the stairs, toward her accuser. "What do you want from me, Vegeta?"

"I want you to leave my son the hell alone, you fucking she-demon."

"I can't do that."

"Oh, yes. And I want to kill you."

Para's expressionless face began to assume the smallest of smiles. "So who's the real bad guy, me or you?"

"I don't think you understand, girl. It's my duty to protect my family from unknown threats. You're an unknown threat."

"I'm a threat just because I did some hardcore drugs? The way I see it, at the moment, I'm being nice, and you're being mean. That makes YOU the threat."

"Oh, shut up and fight me, bitch." Vegeta threw an energy beam at Para so quickly that she could do nothing but step aside and dodge it. The blast left a gaping hole in the staircase right in between Trunks and Para.

"Damn it. That singed my dress!" Para said angrily, looking at the burn marks on the front of her dress.

"My staircase!" moaned Bulma. "My beautiful staircase!"

"Vegeta!" Gohan said in shock, "Relax a little. You have no evidence yet. Her power level still feels really low to me."

"Then we'll just have to make her fight for her life, won't we?" Vegeta sneered.

Para locked eyes with Vegeta. The furious look on her face was the kind that only a pissed-off daughter could give her father. No enemy had looked Vegeta in the eyes which such conviction and rage in decades. It made everyone nervous.

Para _very slowly _began to descend the staircase. The metallic _clink clink_ of her high heels echoed in the silent ballroom as the tension of those in the room mounted. Everyone who was a fighter dropped down into a battle stance out of basic protocol even though the beautiful girl who was advancing on Vegeta had an extremely low energy signal, and was clad, not in warrior's garb, but a beautiful evening gown.

"THIS..." Para began, so angry that she could barely speak. She took a few deep breaths and then tried again.

"THIS WAS A BRAND NEW DRESS, VEGETA!" she shouted. She indicated the burn marks which conspicuously marred the fabric. "YOU RUINED MY GOWN! It was one-of-a-kind! Custom-made! Do you have any idea how much Trunks paid for this? You ought to be ashamed!"

"I couldn't care less about your rags, whore."

"You...!" Para gasped. "How dare you?"

"Dad! Kami, what the hell? This is uncalled for, Father!"

Para was struggling to keep her ki at the absolute minimum. Her whole body was shaking with the effort, and she was breathing very deeply and slowly to remain calm. This was how Vegeta worked. She should know that by now. Her only defence was to be calm, and above him.

Para simply stated, "I want you to know that I'm really, really pissed off at you now."

"That makes two of us, bitch."

She frowned. She needed a way out of this. She glanced up at the clock on the wall.

"Now are you ready to stop acting weak and fight me? I will warn you that if you don't fight, you will be killed."

"If you intend on killing me... then you should know that Goten's been giving me self-defence sessions for 15 minutes every Saturday morning, and he said I'm a fast learner."

"It's true!" said Goten proudly, "She's my best student. She picks things up really quickly, and she's pretty strong. Pretty strong for a human, anyway."

"SHE'S NOT HUMAN!" growled Vegeta.

Para's eyes widened as Vegeta's power level spiked. _Oh boy. The gig is up. I am so, so screwed. No. There must be a way out. There must be. Think hard, Para._

"Girl, I'm giving you one last chance to come clean with us and tell us who you are, and why you're here. If you don't do this, I will be forced to attack you. Once everyone sees what a threat you truly are, you will have all of us against you. The people standing with me in this room are among the strongest beings in the Universe, so do not take us lightly."

"I have utmost respect for all of you highly skilled fighters," Para said softly. "But I'm afraid that I cannot tell you who I am."

"Then I'll have to beat it out of you," said Vegeta.

"Father, don't!" Trunks protested. But it was too late.

Vegeta was flying at Para in a confusing sequence, materializing and de-materializing faster than anyone could keep up with. Finally, he arrived just in front of her, and aimed a powerful punch at her stomach.

Para didn't flinch as Vegeta's image faded just as the punch would have connected with her stomach. Instead, Vegeta appeared behind her and launched a powerful roundhouse kick at Para's head, which she lifted a single finger to block. When his boot connected with her finger, her hand didn't move an inch. Vegeta's jaw dropped.

"Please don't do that," she asked politely. She pointed at her ears. "These earrings are rentals. They're really expensive."

There were a few dropped jaws around the room. A few cleared throats. Vegeta had lowered his foot, and stepped back, staring at the girl in shock. He had sensed that she was strong, but this was unprecedented.

Goten was muttering, "I don't think I taught her that..."

"He must not have kicked her very hard," Krillen was reasoning.

"Her power level is still nothing!" Uub was saying in disbelief.

Chi-Chi was the first to react, and she stepped forward quickly, "Take the earrings off, dear. Just in case. These boys can play pretty rough sometimes. Here, let me hold them for you."

"Thank you," said Para, quickly removing the earrings and putting them in her grandmother's hand. She gave Chi-Chi a smile, remembering very suddenly how much she loved her grandmother. Everyone was treating her with hostility and suspicion, but Chi-Chi had stepped forward to do her a small kindness. It reminded her of her grandfather, and why the couple had been so well suited to each other.

Goku had never battled an enemy without first making sure that enemy could be converted to good. Several of the people in the room would never have had a second chance at life if not for his kindness. Several people would never have been born if not for that selfsame kindness. Including part of Para herself. And of course, no one would be alive without the sacrifices he made. Para missed her grandfather in every minute of her life.

Videl had moved to Chi-Chi's side protectively. Since she had no mother of her own, she was doubly protective and appreciative of Chi-Chi.

Videl now stared into Para's face curiously. "Do I know you from somewhere, Medea? Have we... met before?"

"I don't think..." Para's response was interrupted as a body materialized beside her, a powerful fist connecting with her side and sending her flying.

Hundreds of Swarovski crystals dislodged from her gown and scattered all over the ballroom floor. The crystals danced around the high heeled shoes of Videl and Chi-Chi who were both still dressed for the ball.

Before Para could right herself, she felt an elbow slammed into her back which sent her hurtling into the ballroom floor. Hard.

Before she even knew what hit her, she found herself lying face down in a crater in the marble, several meters deep.

"GOHAN!" Videl shouted. "KAMI, GOHAN! Did you really have to go Super Saiyan 2? What if you killed the poor girl? She made NO offensive manoeuvres towards us WHATSOEVER. Since when do you attack innocent women?"

"I'm sorry, Videl, but there's no way that move killed her," Gohan powered down as fast as he had powered up. "When Vegeta kicked her—he moved so fast that I could barely see or anticipate where he was going to strike. That kick would have hit me, yet that girl was able to anticipate and block it. I'm not sure if she's innocent or not, but I know that she is very powerful, and very dangerous."

Para lay face down in the rubble, inwardly bemoaning her life. _Maybe if I just play dead they'll forget about me._

"Gohan! This isn't like you," scolded Chi-Chi, closing her fist gently around the rented diamond earrings. "She was perfectly nice to us, such a darling, and you just went and..."

"Mom, I noticed something in her technique which indicated that she has been expertly trained. I mean _expertly _trained. She's not just any normal fighter, Vegeta is right."

"Well, I did train her a little bit, big brother," Goten offered, "But you're mistaken if you think she can handle what you just did to her. We're going to have to take her to the hospital, if she's even alive..."

"How far along did she get in her training?" Uub asked with a frown.

"Not very far..."

"When she's powered up fully, who would you say her strength is comparable to?" Gohan asked.

"Uh... well, maybe to Videl," Goten guessed. "Not even as strong as Videl, she hasn't been training her whole life."

Gohan chuckled. "There's no way that she hasn't been training her whole life. I'd say her strength is more comparable to mine."

"No, Gohan," Vegeta interjected. "She is far more powerful than you are."

_Oh, daddy. Way to go and ruin everything!_

"I don't understand what you're talking about," Trunks said in disbelief. He had been shaking his head in denial for what must have been several minutes. "I don't understand. She's not strong. She's not strong at all. It just doesn't make sense. We have to get her to the hospital now! Why did you do that, Gohan?"

"Relax, Trunks," said Gohan reassuringly. "If my calculations of her true power level are correct, going face first into the floor like that at a high velocity wouldn't even have scratched her."

_Damn you for being so intelligent, papa._

"Now, Medea, if that's really your name. I know that you're unhurt. Will you come out and please tell us who you are, and what you're doing here?" Gohan asked politely.

_What am I going to do? Dende, what am I going to do? This is really, really bad. What if someone figures out that I'm a fusion? It's not that difficult. They just need to notice that Pan and Bra are missing and put two and two together... but Pan and Bra are always missing lately, so maybe there's a slim chance..._

_Kami. I need to think of a distracting story. I have TWO brilliant girls inside of this mind and I should be able to think of a solution. I need to guide them away from the truth, so far that it's not even an option._

"If you killed her, Gohan!" Trunks was yelling.

_Don't I have some backup-plan-lies saved up for a situation just like this? I must have an alibi. An alibi! That's it! That's the answer! I'm a genius!_

She would have squealed, thrown her hands up, or bounced up and down and danced in glee, but she was still buried in the pile of rubble. _OK, no jumping the gun, Para. Lie here for a few seconds and just plan out the next few minutes carefully. If I'm going to tell even more lies, they have to be even more calculated and believable. Then I'll need a getaway plan._

"Gohan, sweetie," Chi-Chi was saying softly. Her hand which held the earrings was trembling slightly, "I hope you're sure about this."

"Trust me," he said. Then he began tapping his foot impatiently. "Medea, I would really appreciate if you came out here and showed everyone that I didn't just murder you."

"DO WHAT HE ASKS OF YOU! Or I'll come down there and rip you out of that hole myself, bitch!" Vegeta spat. "Then I'll rip you about five new holes and pull your fucking intestines out of them!"

Para groaned, not being able to resist the commands from both of her fathers. She grumpily pulled herself out of the makeshift grave and dusted herself off. She flew out of the crater and alighted gently on the ballroom floor on which thousands of people had been dancing just moments before.

There were sighs of relief.

"See?" said Gohan, nodding happily. "Not a scratch on her."

"You may not have scratched me. But do you see what you've done to my makeup?" She gestured wildly to her terribly smudged eyeliner and mascara. "It was waterproof. It wasn't going-through-the-floor proof. Thanks a lot."

"Medea," Trunks asked softly. "What about the bullet? Did that shot actually wound you? I saw the blood..."

She looked down at her toes guiltily. "I'm sorry, Trunks. I used my finger to make the wound when you looked away for a second."

"I can't believe you lied to me like this."

"I'm sorry. There really was a good reason."

"AND THE JAR OF PICKLES!" Goten shouted.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"You asked for my help opening a jar of pickles!" Goten accused angrily, pointing a finger at her. His voice sounded hurt and betrayed. "But you didn't really need my help at all, did you?"

Para's lips twitched. "Well, that particular jar of pickles was sealed pretty tight."

"Be honest! No more lies!"

She couldn't help a smile and a giggle. "No, Goten, I didn't need your help. I probably could have opened the pickle jar on my own."

Goten looked as though he had been crushed.

"Medea," Bulma asked then. "You said there was a good reason... what is your reason?"

"I... can't tell you that, Bulma," she answered.

"Well, if she can't tell us then I'm going to assume she's an enemy," said Vegeta. "And I'm going to crush her before she can hurt anyone."

"We should give her the benefit of the doubt," Gohan argued. "It's what Dad would do."

"He wasn't always right to do that," Krillen reminded.

"I'm with Vegeta," said Uub softly. "I don't like lies and hidden agendas."

"If she says she had a good reason..." Trunks began, "Maybe we should trust her. She's been nothing but kind to me and Goten."

"I'm with Vegeta, too," said Android 18, speaking for the first time since Medea had entered the ballroom. She hardly ever spoke unless absolutely necessary.

"I can't get over the pickle thing," Goten said grumpily, his arms crossed. "I'll attack her."

"So you're all going to attack me because I lied?" Para asked in surprise. She hadn't seen this vicious, unforgiving side of her friends and family in a very long time.

"Precisely," said Vegeta, before he dove at her.

Para found herself immediately engaged in dodging a plethora of punches and kicks. She didn't make any attacks of her own, just avoided taking damage from Vegeta's onslaught. A few of the other Z-fighters began to power up too, and Para began to worry.

There were only 5 minutes left in her fusion. It was 5 minutes until midnight.

Uub materialized below Para, and sent a ki beam at her from point-blank range which sent her hurtling into the ceiling. She crashed into the ceiling feet-first and swore.

"Dammit, I broke a heel! Do you have any idea how much these shoes cost? You—" Para said this while pointing at Uub, "You had better go home right now and bring me a pair of Marron's shoes to replace these!"

Uub paused, "Wait a second. How do you know my wife's name? HOW DO YOU KNOW MY WIFE'S NAME?"

"I know more than her name," Para responded calmly. _Time to put the plan into action._ "I know her shoe size. Size 6. That's why I'm asking you to go and bring me a pair of her shoes to replace these!"

Para descended to the ground and kicked off her ruined shoes. She crossed her arms over her chest in mock annoyance. "I refuse to fight any more until I am no longer barefoot!"

"They _were _really nice shoes!" Bulma said upon seeing them. "Guys, can you be a little more careful with her outfit? Kami, and with my ballroom?"

Vegeta stared at Bulma speechlessly, "Be more careful with her outfit? MORE CAREFUL WITH HER OUTFIT, WOMAN? She could be a new villain! A threat to the planet Earth which we call home."

"You're a bigger asshole than I heard you were, Vegeta," Para said.

"Than you heard? Than you heard from whom?" he demanded.

Para stood there with her lips tightly shut and arms crossed defiantly.

"Whatever," Vegeta responded, "Be prepared to fight or die!"

"How about I just chill here instead?" Para suggested.

Vegeta flew at Para in rage, but before he could reach her, he met with an invisible ki-shield that she had erected.

"Dammit!" he cursed, as he began to launch an array of ki bullets at her shield in hopes of destroying it.

"I'll help," said Uub with a growl, "I don't know how she knows about Marron, but I don't trust her!"

Para stood there, with her arms crossed, and her face expressionless as Uub and Vegeta launched ki assaults into her shield.

"That's impossible," said Android 18. _It reminds me of the technique my brother used when he was Super 17. Could she possibly be an Android? _She lifted one of her hands and began to fire her own barrage of mauve-colored ki balls at the girl. "How strong can her shield be?"

"Come on, Goten," said Gohan through clenched teeth. "Let's help, just to test her strength."

"Right."

The two brothers began to fire their own signature ki beams at the shielded girl, adding to the multicoloured light show which dissipated around her shield.

Para just stood there, looking rather bored.

"It's not doing anything," Trunks said softly in awe. "Dad, Gohan, Goten, Uub, Android 18... everyone is attacking her, all at once and her shield is able to deflect all of that?"

"Actually, it's not just deflecting all of it, Trunks," Para responded. "The shield is built to absorb some of the attacks and use the energy to make the shield stronger. So why don't you take a shot at me too, while the whole neighbourhood is firing?"

Trunks felt a sudden surge of anger, "She's toying with all of you! Everyone, power up as high as you can and fire! Let's all go Super Saiyan!"

A flash of worry was visible in Para's eyes for a moment. _Can I do this? Can my shield handle all of them at full power? They wouldn't power up so much inside of Capsule Corp., would they?_

But they did.

Trunks yelled and clenched his fists, powering up so that his hair flashed golden. Goten and Gohan did the same. Vegeta was Super Saiyan 4 in an instant. Uub and Android 18 powered up until large auras surrounded them. Krillen also powered up and joined the fight.

"Let's fire all at once!" Trunks instructed. "3... 2...1... GO!"

Para could no longer keep her arms crossed and act like nothing was happening. She extended her arms out to either side in an effort to reinforce the shield. She could also no longer restrain her power level to its bare minimum. It was no longer necessary, anyway. They knew she wasn't weak. She could reveal some of her strength—just enough to keep alive.

She exhaled, and allowed herself to power up a slight bit, burning all of the tranquilizer out of her veins and allowing her to access some of her true power. She closed her eyes to focus, and let the energy flow through to her fingertips. _Not too much, _she told herself, _just enough._

Everyone was attacking her with full force. A few kamehameha waves, and some other ki missiles and generic attacks.

Para shook her head in disbelief, "Wow, you guys are all really mean. Four Super Saiyans in tuxedos. One Android in an evening gown. One reincarnation of an omnipotent magical monster in his training gi, and one highly trained human in a really gaudy pink vest (sorry Krillen), all attacking one girl? One girl in a very expensive, magnificent ball gown, who is just trying to avoid further damage to her dress? Not cool, guys. Not cool at all."

Everyone stared at each other in shock. Here were several of the strongest beings in the Universe, and they were all attacking this one girl at the same time—and she complained that they were ruining her dress.

"How does she know all of that about us?" Uub asked in shock, stopping his ki-beam.

"My idiot son probably told her!" Vegeta snarled, feeding more ki into the blast at Para.

"No," said Trunks, also stopping his attack. "I didn't tell her all of that. I have no idea how she knows."

Para glanced up at the clock on the ballroom wall. Three minutes. She had to get out of there.

"Medea," Gohan said, also stopping his attack. "How do you know so much about us?"

Para sighed. "If you'll all stop attacking me, maybe I'll tell you. But I can't have a conversation like this."

Everyone stopped attacking, except for Vegeta, who was struggling with an internal conflict. He realized that it was highly probable that Medea was stronger than Pan. His previous reason for disapproving of Medea (publicly) was that she was far too weak for his son. His son deserved the strongest mate.

Now, having learned that Medea was, in fact, the strongest available mate... Vegeta still found himself very displeased with the situation. He realized that it wasn't only strength he wanted in his son's mate. He wanted Pan. Specifically Pan, and all of her good and negative qualities. All of her stubbornness and her craziness, and bad decisions.

Pan was already family. He had trained her since she was a baby. He had been so happy during the previous years at the prospect of her being his daughter in law. Now, the rift between Pan and Trunks was growing greater every day. It was highly probable that Medea was not a villain or a threat of any sort. In spite of her lies about her power, she had been nothing but kind to everyone. This meant that Trunks would forgive her, and they would continue their relationship.

Vegeta very suddenly stopped firing at the girl. He powered down to his regular state.

Para exhaled a sigh of relief, and dropped the shield that she had been using to protect herself.

"Finally! Well, I guess you all have a lot of questions..." she was interrupted by Vegeta's fist connecting with her stomach, and sending her flying right through the ballroom wall.

Vegeta quickly followed her and grabbed her by the neck. He charged up a death beam on his index finger and held it an inch away from Para's eye.

"Vegeta..." she gasped in surprise. She realized that he had moved so quickly that he had ensured that they were alone, and far out in the layers of the upper atmosphere. This way, he could do whatever he wanted to her.

"Listen, bitch. My son already loves someone, and she loves him. You can't move in on him like this when he's vulnerable. He's having a misunderstanding with his woman, and the last thing we need is your interference. Promise to leave him alone, and I won't kill you."

Para smiled. Vegeta was defending Pan. Willing to kill for her.

_You're awesome, dad._

"I can't do that," she said softly. "I can't leave him alone. I care for him."

"I can kill you right now," Vegeta threatened, moving the ki ball closer to her eye so that she could feel the heat of it singeing her eyelashes. "I will say that I believed you were an enemy, and they will have to accept it."

"Just trust me," Para said sincerely. "Everything will work out alright in the end."

With that, she swivelled her body, evaded his grasp in an instant, and in another she sent Vegeta hurtling back into the ballroom, directly into her crater. The force of his impact dug him deeper in by several meters.

Para followed quickly, materializing beside the crater.

"Oh Kami, Vegeta!" Bulma gasped, "Is he OK?"

"He'll be fine," Para answered, glancing up at the clock discreetly. One minute. "I'm sorry I had to hurt him. I just wanted to have a discussion with all of you... maybe explain some things a bit."

"Explain everything," Uub demanded. "How do you know my wife's name... and her shoe size?"

"Why have you been lying, Medea?" Trunks asked seriously. "Why have you gone to such great lengths to conceal your power?"

"OK... I didn't want to tell you all... but I guess now I have to come clean."

Para took a few deep breaths, and looked around at everyone. She made eye contact with Gohan and Videl, Bulma and Trunks, Goten and Uub, Krillen and Android 18.

She spoke evenly and seriously:

"I'm... from the future."

There was a silence, as everyone around processed this information. Para had delivered it so well that even she, herself, almost believed it. She glanced at the clock. Forty seconds until midnight. Had she really needed twenty seconds to deliver that one line? She chastised herself for being wasteful of time. But then again, it had been an important line.

"From the future?" said Bulma softly, "From the future? Oh, Kami. Kami, Kami, Kami."

Bulma sank to the floor, sitting on her knees miserably, "This is not good. This is not good."

Videl had rushed to Bulma's side to make sure she was alright, when Vegeta erupted from the ground.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Vegeta shouted hysterically, almost blinded by his rage. "That's impossible!"

"Uh, no it's not. You of all people would know that."

"STOP TALKING AND DIE!" He readied his hands and sent a Galick Gun directly at Para.

_Perfect. Bye-bye time. _Para glared at Vegeta before moving two fingers to her forehead to use Instant Transmission. The Galick Gun exploded where she had been just a moment before. Several seconds after the explosion cleared, the ballroom clock chimed midnight.

"This place is ruined," Bulma said matter-of-factly.

"Dammit! She used Instant Transmission!" Vegeta yelled in rage. "I can't sense her. Where the fuck is she? DAMMIT! GET PAN HERE NOW!"

"I can't find Pan, father. She and Bra are hiding their kis. I can't even reach them telepathically if I can't sense their kis."

"Text her that it's an emergency!"

"You know what a text is?"

"We need Pan. She's the only one who knows that stupid skill!"

"Apparently not. Apparently she teaches it to someone in the future," Android 18 commented.

"Text her! Someone text her!" Vegeta was yelling.

Goten pulled out his phone and immediately began texting, but then paused.

"Yeah. OK. So what are we going to tell her?"

"The situation, idiot!"

"That we need her to chase down Trunks' new girlfriend because she's extremely powerful, possibly from the future, or possibly the newest threat to the universe?"

There was a pause when everyone was silent.

"Dammit," muttered Vegeta.

"Yes!" said Videl with a chuckle. "Definitely text her that! It should amuse her."

"Where do you all think that Medea girl teleported to?" Uub asked with worry. "I can't sense her anywhere. I'm going to check on Marron and the kids."

"Don't forget to bring back shoes!" Bulma called after him as he left, blasting through the whole in the wall. Bulma let out a little helpless laugh. "Kami, what a mess this night has turned into."

"Panny should have been here," Gohan said in confusion. "She should have sensed that we were fighting and come..."

"I think whatever contraption Bra is using to mask their energy from us probably masks ours from the girls too," Trunks suggested with a frown.

Trunks suddenly noticed the high heeled silver shoes that Para had kicked off during the fight. He absent-mindedly walked over to them and stared down at the heels. He bent over and picked one up, and studied it carefully. It was an exquisite shoe.

He caught himself and shook his head at how pointless that action had been. It wasn't like the shoe had a map to Medea embedded in it. He dropped the shoe and turned back to the other Z-fighters. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I scared Pan away earlier. Let me text my sister... hopefully she'll take pity on me and convince Pan to help out."

"It's not your fault, Trunks," Videl said with a shake of her head, "For once, at least. If your father hadn't scared Medea off with a fricking GALICK GUN then we wouldn't even need to bother Pan for help right now."

Vegeta was panting in rage, and trying to calm himself down.

"More doors are opened with 'please' than with keys, Vegeta," Chi-Chi said softly.

He glared at Chi-Chi angrily, but he realized that he had been wrong. He hated when he lost his temper and acted foolishly. It had been a problem of his in battle since his youth.

Bulma sighed, drawing circles on the ground, "I guess I should go tell my guests that the party is over. How am I going to explain the explosions? A young chemist was in the lab, burning the midnight oil while working on a new source of energy when his experiment went awry... That should do it."

"I'll do it, mom," said Trunks gently. "Let me cover for you. I'm as skilful a liar as you are, I promise."

"Thanks, Trunks. Wait, Trunks, sweetie?"

"Yes, mom?"

Bulma picked herself off the ground and sighed, opening her arms to her son, "Can you forgive your old lady for interfering and sticking her nose in your business and causing such a huge mess? She's a nice girl, really..."

Trunks moved forward and embraced his mother tightly. He held her for a few seconds, knowing that she was shaken up.

"Mom, you were right about everything and I should have listened to you. She was hiding something big, and I never would have known if not for your interference. Thank you for caring so much about me," he said gently. "I'll go out there and take care of the press and the guests for you."

Bulma nodded and smiled at him, wiping a tear from her eye. She watched Trunks leave, and then she turned to the others in the room, no longer with a loving motherly face on, but with her war-face on.

"OK, guys. I think we all have much bigger problems than Medea. If she's really from the future—well then, it's likely that she's here to warn us about something terrible. Some of you are old enough to remember what happened the last time someone made a trip back in time..."

There were a few nods.

"I'm too old to go through this again," Krillen moaned. "And without Goku and Piccolo..."

"I'm still here," said Vegeta. Then, seeing that his attempt at reassurance hadn't reassured anyone, he added with a growl, "And we have the kids..."

"We need my dad," Goten said simply. Chi-Chi put a hand on her son's shoulder comfortingly.

"We didn't have him most of the time for that fight either," said Gohan with a deep frown. "He was sick with a heart virus. But we were still able to defeat the Androids..."

"I prefer 'assimilate,'" Android 18 corrected.

"... And we were able to defeat Cell," Gohan continued. "I know we will manage to overcome whatever adversity we're faced with this time. We always do."

The Z-fighters solemnly nodded in appreciation of Gohan's motivational speech, and some even had feeble belief in it.

* * *

_And I'm losing my favourite game_  
_you're losing your mind again_  
_I'm losing my favourite game_  
_I've tried but you're still the same_  
_I'm losing my baby_  
_you're losing a saviour and a saint_

* * *

Para's clean getaway had worked almost flawlessly—except for one hitch. One very big hitch.

Much in the same way that the ballroom filled with people had jammed her telepathy, her Instant Transmission skill hadn't worked in exactly the way she had intended.

When she had raised two fingers to her forehead, conscious of both the mere seconds until her fusion ended, and the ki beam which had been heading towards her and would hit in less than a second, she had slightly panicked. Her focus had been off.

Part of the issue was that all of the strongest ki signals on the planet Earth had been standing in the same room with her. She had always used these signals to orient herself, to create a map of where she wanted to be. The only map she'd had the time to create at that single, pivotal moment was a "must-teleport-as-far-away-from-everyone-here-as-p ossible" map.

So she had locked onto the only other powerful ki signal she could sense. She had done so instinctively, without even realizing which energy signal it was. She would have normally tried to teleport a few blocks away from whoever it was, and even try to pinpoint a precise location, but there had been no time. Her training of her Instant Transmission in the Time Chamber should have prepared her for this, but the environment, however harsh, could never replicate the true complexity of the real world, and real world stressful situations.

When Para materialized, she found herself in a completely unrecognizable place. The first thing she noticed was that the gravity had changed—it was at least a hundred times greater. She could feel the subtle strain on her arm as she moved her fingers down from her forehead. She was on a different planet. The second thing she noticed was that the room she was in was a beautiful Zen-type garden, with an amazing plethora of greenery, waterfalls, and even a menagerie of exotic colourful birds.

In the centre of the garden, levitating several inches above an ornamental cushion, was a man. This was the third thing that she noticed and the sight of him made Para break out into a cold sweat, for she had seen this man before. His forest-green locks were splayed across his broad shoulders. Kami, but he was gigantic. She imagined that in that seated posture he was almost as tall as she was standing. There was a fierce, intimidating aura about him. Even though his eyes were closed.

She had seen him before several times. Always, it had been in her dreams. The dreams which she now knew to be prophetic. All of the ones which had featured this man as their star had been nightmares. She felt like she already knew him. She already knew what he would sound like when he spoke. She already knew what made him smile. (Cruelty, mainly.) She already knew what he was capable of.

The green-haired man was cross-legged and in a deep state of meditation. Even so, although he was very much powered down to achieve the relaxed and focused state, his energy signal was the strongest in the universe. His energy signal had been so prominent to Para's mind that it had beckoned her into making the grave error of teleporting across the Universe to this man.

She already knew that he was the greatest villain her family and friends would ever face.

Para felt a strange sensation which could only be described as true fear. It was the first time that she, Para, as a fused being, had ever felt such a thing. She knew her fusion was about to wear off, but she would rather get back to Earth and risk being discovered than spend another second in the company of this man.

Para moved her fingers back up to her forehead, but before they reached their destination, the man's eyes snapped open.

"An intruder," he observed, before extending his hand towards her. Para expected a ki blast to be fired at her. She expected that her fingertips touching the skin between her eyebrows, and bits of her wispy bangs would save her from this, but she found she was frozen.

Not frozen in shock, not frozen in fear, but actually physically frozen. Her fingertips were frozen just millimetres away from her forehead, and she couldn't move them any closer. She grunted in effort as she tried to move her fingers to touch her forehead. She couldn't move even those tiny millimetres, not to save her life.

She was locked inside some sort of force field.

The man lowered his hand, which he had used to direct the force field which ensnared her. He smiled, and raised himself out of the levitating position, and to his feet. He dusted himself off, smoothing the wrinkles out of his regal clothing. The force field held her so powerfully that Para couldn't even move her eyeballs, but the aspects of his clothing in her direct line of sight were undoubtedly imperial. He walked towards her, slowly and purposely. He then stood before her, and stared into her eyes.

Para struggled with all of her strength against the force field, but nothing was working. After what felt like several minutes of struggle, a thought suddenly struck her.

She had been fused for longer than thirty minutes. Her fusion should have worn off by now. It should have worn off not long after teleporting to this planet.

There was only one explanation: the force field that she was held within was so strong that it was keeping her from un-fusing. Not only could her body not _move_, but it couldn't _separate from itself_. This drained all of her hope of breaking free, and she stopped struggling.

"There, I see you understand. It is futile to fight against my will."

She couldn't even close her eyelids to blink. All that she could do was stare into the dark violet eyes which appraised her. Her hand was still raised before her face in the position for performing Instant Transmission, her two fingers blocking the middle of her vision. Her eyes began to hurt from being held open for so long. They were dry and burning. Moisture began to gather in the bottoms of her eyelids, but she couldn't blink and use it to moisten her eyes. It was torture. It was a method of torture, for sure.

"I think that we should introduce ourselves, since we will soon be very intimately acquainted," said the tanned giant man. His height and skin tone reminded Para vaguely of her great-grandfather the Ox-King who had died several years ago. Except that this man was a fit warrior in the prime of his life, and his body and facial features were chiselled. He wore a wide metal belt around his tapered waist, accentuating his muscular core.

"I am King Zvarin, the Lord of the Seven Galaxies. I have fully conquered my quadrant of the Universe."

He moved closer to her, and bent down slightly to examine her features. He grasped the fingers which were close to her forehead with a large gloved hand, and pushed her hand down to her side. Para wondered how he was able to move her body when she was not.

Now her fingers were very far away from their desired destination. Next, Zvarin used the same gloved hand to firmly grasp her chin moved her head from one side to the other. She felt like she was a horse being inspected. Or a slave being inspected before being purchased.

"You are Para, a fused being from the North-Easternmost section of the Universe," Zvarin spoke for her.

_Dende. How does he know my name? How does he know that I'm a fusion? Why couldn't he just be supremely powerful and dumb? Why does he have to be brilliant as well? This is the worst news yet._

"It is my pleasure to meet you, Para. Welcome to Metamora."

_Metamora? Kami. This is further than I've ever travelled in the Universe. And I'm all alone. I don't even have Giru with me._

_I want to go home._

* * *

Oopsie! Para made a big boo boo. =( Poofing right to the bad guy is not smart.

But it happens. Instant Transmission is tricky like that. Remember when Gohan ported Cell, who was about to self-destruct, right to King Kai's planet?

"Sorry, guys. This is the only place I could think to bring him."

"Well... you could have called first." *BANG* Cell blows up, killing King Kai, Goku, BUBBLES, GREGORY, AND WRECKING KING KAI'S LITTLE HOUSE!

Stupid Goku. If you hadn't paused to say bye to everyone, chat with Gohan and apologize to King Kai, you could have teleported back to Earth instead of getting yourself blown up. Then Goten would have grown up with a father. *grumble, grumble*

The Z-fighters sure know how to waste 10 seconds. And I might add that those 10 seconds lasted about 10 minutes in the show. SO DON'T COMPLAIN THAT YOU THINK ALL OF THIS COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IN 30 MINUTES! I'M JUST TRYING TO EMULATE DBZ! YOU REMEMBER THE 5 MINUTES IT TOOK FOR PLANET NAMEK TO BLOW UP LASTING 5 FULL EPISODES? YEAH!

Uh, anyway... so I think my point was that this was kind of like that.

I hope you all love me. I tried to keep my eyes open for as long as possible so I could describe what it was like to be frozen like that. It really hurts! I couldn't do it for many seconds. So then I researched it, and found out that it could be used as a torture in a BDSM site. But don't try it, it can damage your eyes! Hehe, I wonder if any of you are like me and tried it already while reading that part? Lol.

* * *

Responses and Thank Yous:

Note: To** SuperSaiyan2479** and (anyone who cares) Regarding "Duo fusion," I first encountered it in a very twisted and complex Goten/Pan story called _Akki no Onna_ by EC-Chan. Pan fuses with Gotenks in this story as a last resort in battle. Now... I don't necessarily recommend reading this, because it isn't for the weak of heart, but I had to mention that it was published in 2003, so people have thought of Duo-Fusion before. Unfortunately, in the world of writing, almost everything has been done before. Pan and Bra fusions have been done before lots, but no one has ever done it as well as I have. (citation needed)

Again I must mention that story is _not for the weak of heart_ meaning I have trouble finishing a story where Goku is the ultimate bad guy who rapes Bra. That's tough for me. And then Vegeta rapes Pan to get revenge on Goku? And Goten and Trunks become lovers, even though Goten really wants to be with Pan? This story, in my opinion, takes the award for most twisted fanfic ever written. I could be mistaken, but I haven't found worse/better (depending on your affinity for twisted) yet!

Oh, wait. Except that story about Bra called "_Control_" which I read last summer. That was a really twisted story.

Is my story as twisted as these? Hmmm. *thinks about it*

**LNCrow:** Thanks for your review! I will definitely email you if I ever need someone to look over my chapters. =)

**kickstartmyhart:** Hehehe, what do you think of Para's strategy? Hope you enjoyed it!

**Ayaka86:** So glad you liked it! =)

**PannyChanBriefs:** I put this one out as soon as humanly possible! I really liked your comment about loving the freaky 'twisted' stuff, and I promise to try to include more of that soon!

**huxiz360:** Lol, thanks for wishing Para good luck! She really needed it, and she still does. Hehehe.

**Zi-Dawg:** Sorry, they still haven't totally figured it out yet! =( Because Para is a brilliant liar! Lol.

**famoso:** I know what you mean. =( I want a friendship like Pan and Bra's too. Writing it is the closest I can get to actually having it. I think that's actually my favourite part of writing this story. Yes, it would be fun if the girls put Dende's advice into play and managed to split up Trunks and Goten, wouldn't it be? We'll see...

**Marie Fortune:** Thank you for your review! I'm so glad you were excited to see what happened next... hehehe. Let me know what you thought of this one!

**Arian:** I know, it was kind of short. Does this make up for it? =D As always, I love your reviews! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter.

**dbzchic62789:** You might be the only one who thought Para could slip out of this one, lol. But I think that's because you know me a little too well by now, lol!

**PaintedinAllColors:** LOL! I loved your review: "No offense meant, Trunks and Goten, but you two are absolute and utter nincompoops." Hehehe. So cute. Also, really great guessing that Zvarin would "set a course to Earth immediately"—I tried to make it unpredictable by having Para accidentally port directly to him. All your guesses about the plot involving Zvarin and Trunks+Goten forgiving the girls are really great guesses. After the girls did things as bad as this, we would need an end-of-the-world situation in order to forgive them!

Now regarding your villain name... you'll have to tell me a bit about the villain first. "Akujin" has been done before, I'm pretty sure, but it's still a good name if you like it! I probably spent hours discussing my villain name with Anmylica, lol. My initial idea for a name was "Lord Azincal" but she didn't like it. I really, really wanted a "Z" in there.

(Thank you again to Anmylica for helping me choose my badguyname. =) And to Charlie for letting me bother him about it forever.)

**tash:** Thanks for the idea on how to reveal Para! I am so glad you enjoyed the suspense, and wanted the T/P kiss to happen. I hope you like this chapter too, can't wait to hear what you think!

**Shahi:** To be honest, the previous two chapters were very rushed, but I figured I could since they weren't very important. This chapter, however was VERY important so I took my time with it. I'd been planning this chapter for months, and had parts of it written since maybe March or April, lol. Thanks for the feedback on Bulma and Veggie! Also, I'm glad you think it was good to split up the chapter and build anticipation. I really felt good about that decision too! =) I love your comments, so feel free to say anything you think about the chappies!

**Mossgrl615:** Thank you! I have to end on cliffies so that you will be left wanting MORE! Hehehe, hope you liked it!

**Suzki:** I promise, it will be good! (Trunks being jealous.) It will be soooo good! Hehehe. So I hope you will forgive me soon. =) You're right, the Bra and Trunks fight was much needed. I added a bit more of his thoughts on her in this chappy for that reason. Thanks for your feedback!

**Ashley:** Hehe, yup! When I read your review and saw you used the phrase "the gig is up" I couldn't help but smile, because Para uses the same phrase in this chapter! But I think I saved it a little bit at least, so not everything is revealed. =)

**Talk Smith Kid:** 18 more chapters is a good guess. Maybe even more. =) It's funny, I never would have realized that Uub hadn't made an appearance yet unless you mentioned it. This was the first chapter that he was supposed to show up in, and we will see him a few more times as necessary. He's not a huge character in this story, but he will fill an important role later. Thank you for reviewing! Can't wait to hear what you thought of this!

**Leecassi:** Your review made me SO happy! I had really been insecure about that chapter until I read your enthusiastic review that you liked it so much. I'm pretty sure that you'll like this one way better though! But it's necessary to have some filler to connect the dots, and as much as I try to make filler interesting, the action is what everyone wants, I'm sure! Thank you for commenting on everything. Your detailed feedback on the V/B, the T/P kiss that never was, and my decision to use Hercule. Thanks for supporting me on that one. =) You're the best!

**ArialChaos:** Oooh, very good idea about the DNA tests, hehe. I loved your comments on the V/B! You're very welcome, and I hope the chapters continue to entertain you as much as they have so far. =) My writing is the biggest gift I have to give.

**KarinKurosakiHitsugaya913:** Hehehe, you're right! Vegeta and the others are just so nervous about threats and bad guys that they are blind to the truth, otherwise they would see things more easily. I can't wait to hear what you thought of this one!

**Sakura Kuchiki:** Hope your new laptop is awesome. Awwww, I feel bad that you can relate to Goten with the smoking. I hope your sickness is better now. =) I never smoked, but my ex-boyfriend did and it really made him unhealthy, and it caused tons of problems between us. I'm never going to date a smoker again. I'm so glad the cute Marron scene got you thinking! Hehehe. I'm really fond of those. It really does my heart good to know you feel sympathy for Para. I can imagine that to many readers she would not be so relatable or forgivable for all her lies and schemes. But I love her too. =)

* * *

A few kind words will go a long way to getting me all charged up!


	20. Sum of Parts

_Chapter Twenty: Sum of Parts_

You get lucky this time. I have nothing to say that isn't already in the story.

Enjoy!

~PanHopeNvs (Nadia Scrieva)

* * *

"Now, I hope you understand that I cannot release you from that force field because you will merely teleport away. I do not know this delightful teleporting skill of yours, so I will be powerless to follow you. I prefer to not be in such a disadvantaged situation."

Zvarin walked around Para slowly, letting his gaze roam leisurely over her body and her curves, accentuated by the semi-destroyed ball gown. She felt the uncomfortable sensation of his eyes on her back when he was out of her line of sight. _There's no way out of this one, _she realized. _I'm at his mercy._

"What I _could _do is release only your head from the force field. That would give you a bit of comfort."

_Please, please, please. Anything. _She remembered when she had been turned to metal. She remembered when she had been turned into a doll. This was far, far worse than anything that had happened on the Grand Tour. There was no hope of Trunks and Goku coming to her rescue. Pan remembered being actually frozen solid and encased in ice not long ago in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Bra had been there to save her. Now they were both trapped.

"You are probably wondering whether I will allow you to speak and blink. Do you think you deserve this privilege?"

Para felt humiliated and disgusted. The _privilege_ of speaking and blinking? She wanted to roll her eyes at him. She wanted to spit at him. She wanted to do what Vegeta mentioned earlier, and rip him about 5 new holes and then pull his intestines out of them.

Then she wanted to jump rope with his intestines.

Or make a lasso with them, lasso him like a cow, and strangle him with his own intestines.

"Para. I know you can communicate with me telepathically. When a King asks you a question, you are to respond. Do you think you deserve this privilege?"

She had no choice. She had no choice whatsoever. But she could restrict her answer to one word.

_Yes._

"Ah, but Para, you must be respectful," he chastised. "It's 'Yes, Lord Zvarin.'"

_Oh, Kami, of all the goddamned fucking pricks... I'd better be careful not to let him hear me thinking like that. He could quite easily have a skill similar to my telepathy. _She cleared her mind, since she couldn't clear her throat.

_Yes, Lord Zvarin._

"Excellent, Para." He raised his hand and made a slight movement of his finger. She suddenly found that she could blink. She closed her eyes blissfully. Now that she could close her eyes, a very fond hope came to her. Perhaps this was all a dream. All of it. Maybe she had fallen asleep when she had lain down with Trunks for a few minutes. No, that wouldn't be good. Before that. She had gone to bed earlier in the day, before the ball, separately as Pan and Bra, and she hadn't woken up yet. None of it had happened. None of it. The ball hadn't happened. The night hadn't been a disaster. Her strength hadn't been discovered. Goten hadn't gotten upset about the pickles...

No. It had to be real. Even her mind wasn't twisted enough to come up with that pickle conversation. That couldn't have been a dream. It had to have been real Goten. And that meant... that this bastard in front of her was real Zvarin.

_No, no, no. I'm still asleep._

"Para, aren't you going to thank me for the privilege to close your eyelids?"

_You have GOT to be kidding me. Please tell me I'm dreaming this. Please._

"What do you say, Para?"

_Dende. And it's between death and thanking him? Please. I want to wake up now. Or maybe I should just choose death for the opportunity to spit in his face or insult him._

Her eyes snapped open and she glared at him now that her eyes were capable of movement and expression again. It had never felt so rewarding to glare at someone. She knew it would feel just as satisfying if she could unleash a string of profanities and curse him to the pits of hell, and tell him exactly where he could shove her gratitude...

"Thank you, Lord Zvarin."

It had never felt so dirty to open her lips and speak. _My death is worth more than an insult._

"Excellent, just excellent. And what a lovely voice. You train quickly and quite well. I am not fond of stubborn, uncooperative females, not in any species."

_I train quickly...? What am I, his newest fucking puppy? _She inclined her head to one side, testing the freedom of her neck. She was displeased to find that the force field ended immediately under her chin. He was precise in having given her only the mobility of her head.

_What can I do with my head? With my eyes and my mouth? Think, Para! How much damage can I inflict with only my head? _Para had one attack—her Banshee Blast, which fired a ki beam from her mouth. But she would only have one shot and it took so long to charge up that attack... he could freeze her head again with the quickest movement of his fingers. She had seen enemies fire laser-like beams from their eyes, but she had never learned the technique herself. No one she knew could have taught her such a thing.

"Now, Para, before we proceed any further, it's time for my physicians to examine you."

_What? Physicians?_

"GUARDS!" Zvarin's voice boomed through the conservatory, and Para imagined that the plants and waterfalls were shaking in terror.

Six gigantic armoured men burst into the room immediately, two from each exit. Para could swivel her head a little, and feel their energy signals. She was surprised to see that all of the men were taller than Zvarin, and more heavily muscled. Their ki signals were considerable, but Para estimated that she could take all of them if Zvarin wasn't around. And if they didn't have tricks like this force field...

"Summon the physicians. Tell them we need a complete alien physical biopsy."

_I take it back. I take it back. I would rather face the press than super-powered villains. I'd really rather face the press._

The guards all simultaneously made a motion which involved striking their armoured foreheads before they left to carry out the order. Para could only assume this was a type of salute.

_At least he said "biopsy" and not "autopsy." I appreciate the little things._

The summoned men entered the room shortly thereafter. Para got the impression that Zvarin was never disobeyed. The physicians were dressed head-to-toe in hazardous material suits which would protect them from any contaminates, chemical, biological or otherwise.

Para did not want to speak, but seeing the men in hazmat suits approaching her made her inwardly cringe. She had to find out what was about to happen.

"What am I going to be tested for?" Para questioned.

The king raised one of his emerald eyebrows.

"Lord Zvarin," she added, trying to keep the sarcasm from dripping off each syllable.

"Everything. I can't take the chance that my enemies sent you as a biological weapon in the package of a pretty girl. It wouldn't be very good for my empire if I caught a deathly disease from you and died, would it be?"

"I don't know," Para answered truthfully. "I don't know what kind of king you are... _Lord Zvarin_."

"The most magnanimous and prudent kind."

The physicians surrounded Para with their toolkits, looking to Zvarin for the word to begin.

He lifted his hand, giving them the command, "Undress her."

"Undress me?" she shrieked. "They will _not _undress me! How dare you!"

"Do you want me to take away your privilege to speak?"

She shut her lips tightly. She tried to hold her tongue as she felt the professional, rough hands of the physicians undoing the clasps of her dress and sliding it down her body. Para bit her lip angrily.

"In my culture it is unseemly and crude for a strange man to look upon a woman's naked body."

King Zvarin waved his hand in dismissal, "Oh, that's the same everywhere. But in my culture, I'm the King and I can do as I please. It's quite convenient really."

Para would have clenched her fists. She would have attacked him. She would have done something, anything but stand there and let these men undress her. But Zvarin's force field held her fast.

"Would you rather be conscious or unconscious for the examination?" the King asked, while staring shamelessly at her body.

"Conscious," she answered instantly. She had spent plenty of time in operating rooms, seeing how disrespectfully doctors treated unconscious patients. The things they said and did would have been completely humiliating and unacceptable to their patients if they had been awake.

One of the physicians began opening briefcases and Para gasped. She tried to contain her panic, but her heartbeat had quickened, and she could hear it thumping in her ear. She drew a deep, shuddering breath.

The briefcases were filled with dozens of needles.

"Kami. Must they use needles?"

He stared at her, waiting.

"Must they use needles, _Lord Zvarin_?"

"Yes."

"How many?" When he didn't answer, waiting for his ceremonial address, she bared her teeth at him and gave him a true saiyan growl. It was time to stop giving in to his will. "HOW MANY?"

"A few hundred."

A small victory. She had intimidated him into answering twice now without calling him by his title. But his response... it was all she could do to keep from screaming.

She gritted her teeth, and tried to breathe deeply and calmly. If it wasn't enough that she had been imprisoned in a force field and robbed of her mobility in addition to being stripped completely naked and robbed of her dignity, she was also going to have to tolerate being stabbed hundreds of times by the only thing in existence which she feared. Well, the previous only thing—Zvarin had quickly taken the place of needles at the top of that list, but she was working on fixing that. She would find a way to eliminate that fear. She would.

When two doctors approached her arms with the needles, she could no longer keep quiet.

"NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Para panicked, trying to power up, but her energy couldn't fill her muscles because her body would not expand against the force field.

"I'll KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" she screamed. "YOU PATHETIC WEAKLINGS! IF IT WEREN'T FOR THIS FUCKING FORCE FIELD I SWEAR I WOULD..."

"Well, if you're going to be hysterical," Zvarin spoke calmly, "unconscious it is."

He snapped his fingers.

Everything went black.

* * *

Uub could fly pretty quickly, but he couldn't beat instant transmission. In the moments it took for him to get home, that Medea girl could have already teleported there and blown up his whole family as they slept. The vision danced through his mind like the worst possible nightmare.

He inwardly cursed himself that he had never insisted that Goku teach him the skill. It was ridiculous. He had had Goku all to himself for ten years. Ten years that Goku did not only devote to Uub's training, but to Uub's development as a person. Ten years that Goku abandoned his own two sons and his own granddaughter to invest himself in only Uub's needs. And yet, even with only a year spent with her grandfather in space, and another year after that, Pan had managed to convince him to teach her the skill. Somewhat. She had learned the rudimentary basics of it. Enough that she had evidently been able to teach it to someone else in the future.

Uub felt slightly jealous and inferior that Pan, in two years, had managed to learn more from Goku than he had in ten. Perhaps this feeling wasn't correct—and perhaps something should be said for the fact that ten years of peacetime training could never be equivalent to two years of wartime training, in addition to the advantage Pan had of being a blood descendant of Goku's—but nevertheless, Uub couldn't shake the feeling of being less of a fighter. He also couldn't keep himself from thinking that if he had known the skill instead of Pan, he would not have taught it to the wrong people. Of course, there was no confirmation that Medea wasn't the right person, but Uub had a very bad feeling.

When trouble came it came in hordes. Two genius mad scientists didn't just conspire to unleash the most powerful Android ever created; they also opened the gates of hell and let every other villain that had ever been defeated through along with him. This was Uub's experience.

These thoughts had been swimming through his mind as Uub flew home as fast as he could after the confrontation in the ballroom. He focused on sensing the faint, resting energies of his children and wife for any fluctuations.

It took him mere seconds to make a beeline from the Capsule Corp. in the ultra-urban West City to the less densely populated Eastern District where he and Marron had chosen to raise their family. Those seconds felt like hours as the frantic thoughts flew through his mind. He lowered himself to the ground and weaved himself through the familiar path of trees to get to his home, but he didn't use the front door as he normally did. He headed straight for the nursery window.

Uub sighed in relief when he laid eyes on his sleeping son inside of his crib. He leaned down and kissed little Oren's forehead gently. The toddler was the spitting image of his father, except for his striking blue eyes. Uub marvelled at the fact that although Oren was the smallest, and the most helpless of his family, his ki was the strongest.

Moving on, Uub quickly exited the nursery and headed to his daughters' room. When he flung the door open, Olive sat up suddenly.

"Daddy?" she asked in confusion, sensing his ki even in the darkness of the room. "What's wrong? You came home from training?"

"Are you alright, Olive? Is Nyssa OK?"

"Of, course, daddy... but I sensed a lot of big energies. Uncle Vegeta got really mad?"

"You should have been sleeping," Uub scolded her gently. Upon being reassured that the girls were fine, he turned to leave. "Wake your sister up and then go into your brother's room."

Uub made his way to the room he shared with Marron, flinging the door open. Marron stirred and groaned to be woken out of her sleep.

"Marron," he said in relief, rushing over to the bed. He stared down at her in the gentle moonlight.

"What? I'm sleeping," she grumbled, squinting one eye open. "Uub? Why are you..."

She was interrupted by Uub flinging himself down onto the bed beside her and wrapping his arms around her tightly. She found her speech muffled as her face was buried in Uub's sweaty training clothes.

"Oh, another booty call," she mumbled, trying to turn over and go back to sleep. "Not tonight. Go away. Haven't I made you enough children?"

"Marron," Uub murmured again, not letting her escape his tight embrace.

"I'm so sleepy," she protested. "I literally JUST got the girls to bed after reading to them for about six hours, and breastfeeding Oren. Can we do this another time? I'm really not in the mood..."

Her speech was interrupted by the realization that Uub was clinging to her for dear life—as though he feared for her safety.

"Uub," she whispered softly. "Kami, what's wrong?"

"A girl," he spoke into her hair. "A very powerful girl... possible enemy."

Marron sat up suddenly, "The kids..."

"They're OK," Uub said, pulling his wife against him again, "And you're OK. I'm not letting any of you out of my sight until this is over. Let's go to the nursery..."

"Uub, wait..." Marron said, grabbing his arm. "Can you tell me what's going on? Tell me now so that we don't have to scare the children."

Uub sighed, "You wouldn't believe it if I told you. Her name is Medea..."

"Medea... as in..." Marron bit her lip before she could say anything further. _Medea as in the girls? As in Para?_

"Do you remember the new girl Trunks was dating?" Uub asked, with a frown. "Apparently... she's extremely powerful. Maybe stronger than all of us. Even Vegeta was worried. She said that she's from the future, but..."

Marron let out a sound that was half-snort and half-laugh, but all-relieved. Uub looked at her questioningly.

"Oh, the future you say?" Marron quickly covered. "That's so interesting. I wonder what it means, and why would someone travel back in time to visit us now?"

"I'm not sure she's telling the truth," Uub said. "But whether she is or she isn't... she requested a new pair of size 6 shoes. She somehow knew your shoe size... and I broke her old ones."

"You broke her shoes? How on Earth... I'm not even going to ask." Marron stood up from the bed and walked over to her closet. She opened the door and peered in, squinting in the darkness, "What color were they?"

"Ummm..."

"Men!" Marron said in dismay. "Can you remember what color her dress was?"

"Ummm... maybe... white... no, silver?"

Marron sighed, "I'll call my mom and ask."

* * *

Para's eyes snapped open again, and she found herself very suddenly wide awake. A chill ran through her when she noticed that Zvarin had snapped his fingers again to wake her. It had worked instantly. Some kind of hypnosis?

What chance did she stand against him if he could snap his fingers and control whether she was awake or asleep? It was a very strange sensation to wake up so suddenly and to not feel tired at all. Para realized that Zvarin was staring at her, and she frowned at him.

"Congratulations. You're disease free."

"Lucky me," she mumbled sarcastically. Although the force field held her fast and she could not look down, she could feel that her clothing had been replaced. From the feel of it, it was the same tattered ball gown, and she was still barefoot.

Zvarin advanced on her, "You have a very insolent tongue. Did I not teach you to address me with respect? I am your superior."

Para felt rage bottling up inside of her. "Superior?"

"Yes. I am a King, and you are merely an underling."

"_Underling!_" Para shouted so loudly that her throat hurt as it tried to expand against the force field. "I'll have you know that I am no such thing and never have been. I am the Princess of Saiyans."

"A princess?" Zvarin remarked with interest. "Is that so? I wasn't aware. You should have mentioned it sooner. You are of a royal bloodline?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"I want to know if I can fetch a high ransom for you."

Para raised an eyebrow.

"That was a joke. I do not know if your culture has a similar concept of humor as ours does," the king shrugged, gesturing to his palace carelessly. "Anyway, I have enough riches for ten kingdoms, and I doubt that any ransom your people could pay for you would increase my piles of treasure by a fraction of a percentage."

"You sure do know how to impress a girl," Para said derisively.

"The reason I wish to know about your heritage is because if you are, in truth, a princess of a royal bloodline, then I needn't enforce the terms of respectful address upon you so strictly in private. We may converse as equals."

Para couldn't resist a small smile, "Why, I do believe it is possible for you to be reasonable after all."

"Being reasonable is one of the strongest attributes of a leader."

"Then I'm sure you'll release me from this uncomfortable force field so that we can truly converse as equals."

"Not being a fool is another necessary attribute," Zvarin answered. "If I release you for even a microsecond you will go teleporting out of the galaxy. Instead, why don't we get to know each other better since you're visiting?"

Para tried to shrug, forgetting that her shoulders were locked in place by invisible skin-tight barriers. _Visiting? I'm a prisoner, not a guest._

"I may have been too rude with you earlier. It was before I knew that you were not of a lower class."

"Is that an apology?" Para mused out loud. "Wonders never cease."

"Tell me about yourself," Zvarin said, lowering himself into a seated position. "What is your name?"

"Para."

"Your full name."

"Para Medea Brieson."

"How many beings have fused together to create you?" he inquired.

"What?" she asked in confusion. "Two."

"TWO!" he bellowed. Guards came rushing into the room at the sound of his raised voice, but quickly he dismissed them and composed himself.

"Only two?" he asked again, more calmly.

"Yes," she answered. "Is more possible?"

"Is more possible!" he repeated with a laugh. "Tell me, Para—are both of the women you are comprised of descendents of royal bloodlines?"

She hesitated. She was uncertain whether it was favourable to appear more valuable and powerful or to seem less important. She made a quick decision and decided that it was better to try to guarantee her life than to pretend to be worthless to Zvarin.

"We are both of royal bloodlines," Para answered, thinking of her great-grandfather the Ox-King.

"Excellent. Marvellous. How interesting! You are both the heirs to different dominions on your home planet which is called..."

"Earth," Para answered, against her better judgement, "but no. One half of me is the princess of another planet altogether."

"Ah, so you are a fusion of two different species?"

"It's a long story, but no. I'm a fusion of two hybrids of two different species."

"I see. And have your families conquered your quadrant of the universe?"

Para wrinkled her nose. "My families have liberated our quadrant of the universe from those who have sought to dominate and oppress us."

"Ah, I see. So you liberated your galaxies from tyranny by allowing them to live peacefully under your rule?"

"No, it's not like that at all..."

Zvarin approached Para and stood very close to her. He hooked his thumbs in his belt and bent slightly forward from the waist. His face stopped inches away from hers.

"I see you are becoming frustrated. You do not enjoy speaking about politics? No one does. Let us turn the conversation to lighter subjects."

Zvarin's face was transformed by something that Para could only describe as a smile. A good-natured, friendly smile. She was stricken by the sudden realization that she found him quite handsome when he smiled.

"You are exceptionally beautiful," he said. "This is a magnificent gown."

Para felt more chills of discomfort run through her body. She probably would have shuddered if her shoulders could move.

* * *

"What bothers me the most is that her power level never got very high. Even when she was shielding herself from all of our attacks, her power level was no higher than... Krillen's."

This was Gohan's quiet observation.

"Thanks, bud," Krillen muttered.

"That shield was a crafty technique," said Uub. "I've never seen anything quite like it before."

"I have," said Android 18. "It reminded me of the shield that my brother used in his Super 17 form."

"Can you teach me, Grandma?" Nyssa asked with a yawn. "I want to do the shield too."

Android 18 looked down at her granddaughter in her little pink pyjamas. "I don't know that specific technique, Nyssa, but I can teach you something like it."

"You are all ignoring what's actually important here," Bulma said sternly. "Yes, she's strong. I get it. Any idiot could see that she's strong. I don't really care to know how strong—I care about why she's here and what she wants. What she knows. What she has to tell us."

"And who she is," Chi-Chi added.

"Do you have any ideas about this situation, Marron?" Bulma asked, turning to the blonde woman suspiciously. "Any ex-detective insights?"

"No, Bulma. I'm sorry." Marron rocked Oren against her gently. She knew that Bulma would not reveal in front of everyone that she had commissioned an investigation on Medea. Marron hoped she wouldn't have to reveal that the report had been fabricated.

"I really do wonder who she could be," Goten said. "If she's from the future... does that mean she's a saiyan?"

Marron knew she needed to guide everyone away from the truth for the sake of her friends.

"Not necessarily. She could be one of my daughters," Marron suggested.

Vegeta snorted in a disgusted way. "No, you don't understand... she's strong."

Olive and Nyssa glanced at each other briefly before turning to glare at Vegeta.

"That's awful. You're such a tool, Uncle Vegeta." Olive spoke in an extremely disdainful tone for a little girl. She had obviously learned it from her grandmother. "If that girl is me from the future I hope she slams you into the ground a couple more times, and that I get to watch. Then I hope I get to grow up to be her, and go back in time and do it all over again."

"Yeah!" Nyssa cheered, pumping her little fist into the air. She agreed with her sister for what might be the first time in her life. "Olive and I train really, really hard like alllll the time, and it's not nice to say that we won't be strong when we're grown up like you. I bet I could take you if you were my age. I can do a Destructor Disk."

Nyssa stuck her tongue out at Vegeta. When Vegeta growled, she quickly dodged behind her father's legs.

"Brats," Vegeta muttered. He was in a foul mood. He was in a very, very foul mood. But that didn't keep him from carefully looking at Marron's two daughters and trying to discern whether there was any resemblance between them and Medea. The colouring was slightly wrong... but then, women could do all kinds of things with hair dye, contact lenses, makeup and about twenty years of maturing...

"What I don't understand is why she was spending time with us," Goten wondered out loud. "Was she using us to get information?"

"From what Chi-Chi and Videl have been saying, I don't think she had any ill intentions," Marron interjected. "Maybe she just wanted to get close to us without raising suspicions. Keep an eye on us quietly from a distance."

"She wasn't exactly at a very far distance, Marron," Trunks said with a frown, "at least not from me."

Marron just shrugged weakly and smiled. Uub stared at her quizzically. He felt the fleeting suspicion that his wife knew something she was hiding from him. Marron seemed far too calm about the whole situation.

"Look—if Medea returns, and I think she will," Trunks said slowly, "I need you all to let me speak to her. This means you, father. Do you think you can keep from attacking her for about 5 minutes so we can find out why she made the journey to a different time dimension? Because my guess is that it might be important."

"I may have..." Vegeta cleared his throat and spoke gruffly, "I may have approached this in the wrong way. You all forget that I'm not from around here, and where I'm from we do things differently. We see danger and we shoot first and ask questions later. I _was trying_ to give that girl the benefit of the doubt by shooting and asking questions simultaneously. Don't you all see what a big step that was for me? But you all seem displeased with that strategy."

"You could have killed her, Vegeta," Videl said disapprovingly. "Then what would we have learned? She was trying to speak with us when you tried to incinerate her."

"I don't think any of you understand my actions," Vegeta said. "It's important to me to know exactly how strong she is. As important as it is to Bulma to know what manner of spaceship the girl used to travel back in time—yes, Bulma, don't act like you haven't been dying to know since she mentioned that she was from the future. I can see it written all over your face."

"Guilty," said Bulma with a small smile. "But the reason I haven't mentioned it is because I realize that it's not our highest priority at the moment."

"Knowing her strength is _my _highest priority," Vegeta said. "Whether she's on our team or with the enemy? Not my biggest concern. Diplomacy is for the Sons. And the women. I know what my role is in this team."

* * *

"I have some gifts for you, Princess Para."

She swallowed at being addressed in this way. He was calling her by her "title" because some of his servants were in the room. He had sent them away to retrieve items for him in a language that Para did not understand. Now they returned, carrying ornate tower-like jewellery armoires.

While Para felt her mouth water at the thought of what exotic treasures might be inside of the drawers of such fine encasements, she would not allow her feminine curiosity to overpower her common sense.

"The only gift that I wish from you, Lord Zvarin, is that you will free me from this force field. It is extremely uncomfortable."

She remembered to call him by his title in front of his servants. She was trying to get on his good side so that she could get what she wanted; and all she really wanted was to be able to touch her forehead.

"Alas, that is the one thing I cannot give you," he answered. He spoke to his servants in the foreign language once more, and they clapped their wrists to their foreheads in salute before departing the room.

King Zvarin opened a few drawers before finding what he was searching for. A deep burgundy velvet box.

Para's breath caught in her throat.

Zvarin approached her with the box, and when he was before her, he held the box open so that she could see what was inside.

Her gaze fell upon not one, but two slender, simple bands. They were made, not from gold or silver or even platinum, but from a metal Para could not identify... a metal of deepest inky black. Not quite ebony, not quite onyx. There were no stones on the rings, nor any design.

Para was surprised when Zvarin removed a ring from the box and reached forward to take her hand. He lifted her wrist (it still surprised her that he was able to control her body although she was not) and he carefully slid the ring onto her index finger.

"A perfect fit," Zvarin remarked. He proceeded to remove the second ring from the velvet box and echoed his actions, placing it on the index finger of her other hand. He stepped back and examined the rings carefully.

Para stood there, frozen with her arms stretched out before her, and a new black ring on each of her index fingers. She was extremely confused. She hoped that this wasn't some strange ritual of marriage in this part of the Universe.

Zvarin reached out and took both of her hands gently. He rubbed his large thumbs over the backs of her hands. His touch sent shivers all the way up her arms.

"Do you know what these rings are?" he asked.

"No," she answered softly and warily. _Please don't be wedding rings. Please don't be wedding rings._

"They serve a purpose I believe you are greatly in need of."

Para frowned then, unable to conceal her confusion. "What are they made of?"

"The rings are made from Katchin, the densest known substance in the universe."

Para vaguely remembered a story that Gohan had told her about breaking the Z-sword on a large block of Katchin in the realm of the Kais. She had thought it was a fairytale, but...

"I am used to receiving more gratitude for my generosity."

His voice had a strange tone in it. She didn't quite understand the significance of his gift. She stared down at the bands, thinking of the beautiful ring that Trunks had had custom made for her. How much more well suited that had been to her hand! How much more comfortable it had felt than this foreign, _extremely_ foreign metal from an extremely foreign man!

"Thank you for the rings, Zvarin," she said, looking up at him in confusion.

He looked at her intently. His large gloved hands drifted from her hands to just over her wrists. He encircled her wrists, seeming to feel how small the bones were. Para suddenly was seized by the notion that if he so decided he could probably close his fists and crush her wrists without much effort. She was strong, but his ki... just standing this close to him was difficult.

It was like he had an aura emanating from him which contained a heat and heaviness. Yes, it was as though this man had a gravity all of his own. He was a small sun. He was a powerhouse.

She was uncomfortably caught in his atmosphere.

It was terrifying, but a warm feeling in her stomach betrayed to her that it was exciting too. His hands drifted slowly up from her wrists along her forearms, settling just at her elbows.

Kami, his hands were so large that they still could fully encircle her elbows. She felt heat spread throughout her body at his growing proximity, and the unusual combination of terror and excitement. In her frozen state, her saiyan senses began to work overtime. She could smell the masculine scent of Zvarin, although it was not the human or saiyan masculine she was used to, and she could hear the slow and steady rate of his heartbeat. It was the slowest heartbeat she had ever heard! She could count over five full seconds between each massive thump.

Twelve heartbeats per minute? Was that possible? Was that possible for any creature? Any creature that wasn't hibernating?

Her saiyan senses began to work even better, and her telepathy began to stir back to life and zone in on his thoughts and feelings as his hands slid up from her elbows to her shoulders. She felt the sudden urge to break whatever spell she was under, and whatever connection was being established between them.

"You know, Zvarin. You're not the first man to have ever given me expensive jewellery in my lifetime."

"You are twice a princess, and I can imagine that may be true," he answered. "However, I am rather confident that no man has ever fulfilled your innermost wish as much as I just have."

"My innermost...?" her brow wrinkled in confusion.

He took a step back suddenly, removing his hands from her arms. The abruptness of his movement and the sudden removal of the warmth and pressure just above her elbows startled her. She felt her diaphragm strain against the force field as she tried to take a large intake of breath to calm her nerves.

"You want me, Para," he observed. "You want me to keep touching you, don't you?"

She didn't respond. She just looked at him warily.

"Forgive me; I believe that was an inappropriate comment." He smiled. That handsome smile again.

"Para, what you may not know about me is that I am a practical man. The metal I just slipped onto your fingers isn't merely an expensive gift." Zvarin removed a glove first from one of his hands, and then from the other to reveal that he was also wearing these black Katchin rings.

"What's so special about them, then?" she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"Those rings, my dear, will maintain your fusion as long as you wear them."

"_What_?" she whispered after a shallow little gasp, "I'll stay fused?"

"Yes. I assume this is desirable to you?"

She could only nod vigorously, trying to steady her quickening breaths. _Hours upon hours in the laboratory... experiment after experiment, and he just gives me the solution! It's too good to be true. It can't be true._The news physically affected Para. Her body began to hum and tingle with pleasure, and her ki began to warm and rise without her even noticing it. _It is my innermost wish! I can stay fused! I can stay fused!_

The scientist in her won over her giddy excitement at her new treasure and she asked him, "But how does it work?"

"Ah," he said, holding up a single finger, encircled by the band. "A cultural phenomenon, really. This metal is extremely rare, and it is prayed over by Metamoran monks for a year to infuse it with the magical properties to contain the fusion."

"For how long will I remain fused?"

"For as long as you live. As long as you have placed these rings of Holy Katchin on your index fingers."

"Why my index fingers?"

"You know how you must touch your fingers together in order to perform the fusion dance? The fingers are the key."

"Ahhh," she said to herself, wishing she had figured out the solution on her own. "Of course!" The hum of energy that had enveloped her body with her initial excitement began to calm. _Now if only I could find a way to get home. No more lies. No more running away after thirty minutes. I'd be a real person. A real, whole person. But there's no point if I can't get home._

"You will find that the elite Metamoran warriors wear much more Holy Katchin jewellery than just the rings to further safeguard and strengthen their fusions." He pulled back his forest-green hair to reveal his ears, which also had the black metal rings going through them.

"I don't take you for anything less than an elite warrior. Would you like a few more pieces of jewellery?" he asked.

"That would be wonderful," she answered.

"Would you like a new set of clothes as well? I could conjure something more comfortable if you wish..."

Para observed how he had raised his hand, ready to do as she wished. _He has the same skill that Piccolo and the Kais had. The skill to change someone's clothing with their mind. Now THAT is a very handy skill to have. KAMI! Why couldn't I learn THAT instead of telepathy? Anyway—the dress. Do I want to change it? But it's my wedding dress..._

"No," she answered, with a small sad smile. "The dress may be a bit damaged, but it has sentimental value."

_If things somehow go awry... I wouldn't rather die in anything else, _she thought to herself.

"As you desire," he said, returning to the jewellery chests. "Do you know anything about the History of Metamora?"

"No."

He had selected a matching bracelet and begun to tie it around the wrist of her already outstretched hand. "Then how did you learn the fusion technique? Surely someone from your planet must have ventured here long ago."

"No," responded Para, "My grandfather sacrificed his life to protect our planet, and after dying in that battle he spent 7 years training in Otherworld with the Kais. He met dead Metamoran warriors there, who taught him the technique. Then when he returned to Earth, there was another great battle in which he taught the fusion technique to my brother and uncle. That was the beginning of fusion on my planet, it came from Otherworld."

"Ah, how interesting. Revival from death is possible where you're from?"

"Not anymore," she answered. "It was… a gift from the gods. We abused the privilege and we no longer have access to it."

"I see," spoke Lord Zvarin as he gently lowered her arms back down to her sides. He moved very close to Para and gently threaded simple Katchin earrings through the piercings in her ears. "Well, then perhaps I should tell you the more updated story of fusion."

Para would not have been able to remain still as the alien touched her so intimately as he adorned her with the jewellery if not for the powerful force-field around her. She felt herself shuddering inwardly, but it was not completely from fear or revulsion. It was also partly from curiosity and intrigue. The adventurous young girl within her was beginning to awaken, and she was ready to face the consequences of hijacking a proverbial spaceship into the unknown beyond.

"Until about a century ago," he began, "fusion was in its infancy—in the form that you now use. But massive widespread war and disease on this planet forced the native people to be innovative. Fusion became a way to increase one's resilience against disease by increasing the genetic diversity of a single body."

Para nodded in amazement. It was a good idea.

"If not for fusion, the Metamoran humanoids would have been wiped out completely."

He paused, fingering a katchin pendant on a chain.

"After the war, we learned that fusion also made you more desirable to the opposite sex. Bodies became traded as currency. Fusion became a way for those who lacked confidence or good looks to change their chances of finding mates."

Para nodded. It made perfect sense. Fusion was the solution to natural selection. Fusion was the answer, the weapon: it was artificial selection for humans.

"If a male was of excellent stature but had some other defect, like balding, he might choose to fuse with a shorter male with a more productive scalp. If a female was too thin and boyish, she might choose to fuse with a more curvaceous female who was more suitable for reproducing. People would put out personal ads citing their strengths and weaknesses, and they would seek matches to create a better person."

"How bizarre," Para exclaimed. She couldn't imagine fusing with a complete stranger simply because she wanted to change something about the way she looked.

"Fusion also became a ritual of friendship—the best of friends would often fuse, for many reasons. Sometimes when one or both friends had suffered a trauma in their life, it became a way for them to move on. The fused being was not just physically stronger, but mentally stronger, and was not as susceptible to depression. Most of these best-friend fusions would end up being fused until their death, often forgetting that they were ever two people to begin with. The fusion offered them so many advantages it would have been foolish to separate again. This is similar to your situation."

"How can you presume to know me?" Para exhaled slowly as she spoke. "You think by placing this metal on my body I will never return to being two people?"

"I don't _think_ so. I know so," replied Lord Zvarin as he fastened the necklace around her neck. "I have great experience in matters of fusion. I am a fused being myself, and not one part of me could bear to be separated from the others. Once a body joined with me, it became essential to the whole. Fusion is addictive, in a way."

"Perhaps it is, but that doesn't mean I will become addicted to it. My reasons for fusing could be very different than yours. After I accomplish my goals I may not have any more need for fusion."

"Ah, but I have invaded your mind when I first sensed you, and I know that you wish to stay fused. Fusion is a very powerful technique..."

"Invaded my mind?" she asked with concern.

"Yes. It's one of my techniques. When I'm meditating, if I can lock on to a person's ki, I can see through their eyes and their mind for up to five minutes. I can live their life as though I am in their body—I have no control, but I can experience all of their sensations and thoughts. The more powerful a person is, the less time my invasion lasts. The mind and body naturally force me out as an immune system would to a virus."

Para stared at him, processing this information. It made her uncomfortable. She wondered during which five minute period Lord Zvarin had spied on her life. She wondered if he had spied on all of her friends and family this way, and just how much he knew...

"You are very powerful, Para. I could not stay in your mind for more than thirty seconds."

"I suppose I should be proud of that fact," she answered with a sigh. "Might I ask what you saw when you were in my mind?"

Zvarin smiled, "You talk to yourself a lot. That's how I learned your name, because no one else seems to call you by it. You say 'OK, Para, you've got 10 minutes of fusion left' or 'Think, Para, think of a solution to this problem' or 'I wish I could stay fused for longer than 30 minutes.'"

Para couldn't resist a smile then too. Was this man really as evil as he had been in her dreams? Sometimes her dreams weren't precisely correct. Zvarin was capable of being so... charming. He had used information gained from spying on her to give her exactly what her heart most desired—a way to remain fused for as long as she felt necessary.

Her smile suddenly disappeared. _What the hell is wrong with me? He's keeping me trapped in a force field and I'm thinking about how CHARMING he is? Get a grip, Para! Oh Kami, he's right. I do talk to myself in my head far too much. That's pathetic!_

She cleared her throat, "So why did you make the decision to fuse with someone, Zvarin?"

"That's a long story," he answered. He retrieved an anklet and stooped to tie it around her ankle. It was difficult with her giant skirt getting in the way, so he used his force field to levitate her off the ground by a few yards. She was still barefoot from kicking her broken heels off earlier.

"I would like to hear it," she said. She felt slightly nervous about Zvarin fastening the chain around her ankle. He seemed much too familiar with touching her.

"When I first landed on Metamora I was very intrigued. I studied fusion for a decade before deciding to partake of it."

"You aren't from this planet?" asked Para.

"No, of course not," said Lord Zvarin, "I just conquered it, following in my father's footsteps."

"Conquered," she repeated. He had mentioned this before, but it was only just sinking in. She had unpleasant flashbacks to the stories she'd heard of Frieza, to all the tyrants she'd met in outer space, and even to Baby.

"Yes. I've conquered all of the planets in this quadrant of the Universe. I'm surprised you haven't heard of me. I just was particularly fond of this one and its rich history. Since I've been here I have fused with one hundred of the most powerful warriors in the Seven Galaxies."

"ONE HUNDRED? You're a fusion of a_ hundred_ people?" asked Para in shock. Her reaction was similar to his when she had told him that she was only two people.

"Yes. One hundred young humanoid males, all in the prime of life (for their respective species), but roughly from 21-26 years of age. I was 43 years old before the fusions began, but as you can tell, now I am much younger."

"Kami," she whispered. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine it.

"I know; it is rather impressive, is it not? I have basically found the fountain of youth. I could live forever by taking on the youth of those I fuse with. And they take on my wisdom and power. This was my motivation for fusing: to join with only the best and brightest beings in the universe so that I would become exponentially greater than any of them were as individuals."

"Did you force them to fuse with you?" she asked, "or was it voluntary?"

"In the Seven Galaxies it the highest honour to join bodies with the supreme ruler."

Para felt dread creep into the hairs on the back of her neck which could not stand up. She remembered the stories of Cell's absorptions. She remembered hearing Android 18 cursing the beast who thought she should be_honoured_ to join with him. She remembered the stories from Trunks and Goten of being absorbed by Buu. Of having their power tapped into in order to fight against their own families.

"There were men lining up to be medically tested, intellectually tested, and to compete in battles to join with me. I have gained an immense array of techniques and an unparalleled rise in energy since the fusions began."

_That's why none of us ever sensed you before. You weren't always this powerful._

"There is a phrase here on Metamora," Zvarin said, "People say that 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.' Well, Para, can you imagine when those parts are already whole, whole and awesome, and they are combined, how VERY MUCH greater the whole is? I like to say that the multiplication of several wholes creates a whole whom one can worship."

_Worship. He's got a hundred arrogant young male brains in there who think that they are invincible. The fusion has gotten to his head so much that he thinks that he's a God. He thinks that he's not only above everyone in the physical sense, but in a moral sense as well. He thinks he's divine._

_But I know that every human being... or saiyan... every SINGLE being, regardless of species is flawed and no matter how many of us you put together we cannot suddenly be divine. Even the Namekian guardians have never claimed perfection. Yet… I think I understand some of the way he feels. The fusion does make one feel above everything._

_Kami, I almost feel sorry for him. Whoever he was originally… that man has been lost. He's drowned in himself. A combination, or multiplication, of a hundred souls has created a monster, and destroyed all of the individuals who previously existed. I have difficulty sorting out my own identity and I am only two people. How does he even know who he is?_

Zvarin looked up at her. He let his hands leave the anklet tied around her ankle, and his large hands drifted slowly up her calf as he maintained eye contact with her.

_But he is such a beautiful monster._ She swallowed as the touch jolted her out of her thoughts, "Do I need to be wearing all of the jewellery to keep the fusion?" she asked.

"No," he answered, "the rings are mandatory to initiate keeping the fusion. After you have placed the rings on your body, you can wear another piece of jewellery and remove the rings. Just one piece is sufficient. As long as there is Holy Katchin around one of your limbs, or fingers, or in a single piercing in your body, you will not be able to un-fuse."

"Then why do I need so many pieces?" she asked.

"In battles here on Metamora, the first thing attackers will try to do is rip off a person's jewellery. This is why we wear many pieces of jewellery to insure against this happening. It is foolish to lose a battle simply because your necklace was unclasped."

Para quickly glanced at Zvarin's body, looking for all the jewellery he wore.

"In fact," he added, "Some of us have the Holy Katchin implanted directly into our bodies. This way we would have to have certain organs ripped out, or be drained of our blood in order for our fusion to end."

Para's eyes fell. _There goes that theory of how to defeat him._

"Implantation? That seems very... permanent," she remarked. "I didn't think of that."

"There is a lot I could teach you," he said.

It unnerved her that she knew nothing of his race, his history or his powers.

Zvarin stepped closer to her, and brushed tendrils of her indigo hair back over her shoulders. Para had never felt more like a statue. She was unable to evade his touch, and unable to express displeasure with it. It wasn't completely displeasure that she felt. But she did feel that it was wrong, and it was unwelcome.

The green-haired king tilted his head down so that his lips rested just above her ear. "I want you to know something, Para. Now that we have met, I will be coming to collect you in a few years' time."

Her heart skipped a beat, "What?"

"I'm not sure how long it will take for a spaceship to travel such a distance. Two or three years, maybe? I would be interested to take astro-cartographers along with me and map out more of the universe."

"I don't understand your intentions…" she said slowly. _Does this mean he's going to let me go? And then come to Earth? That doesn't make any sense!_

"I want you for my own."

Para felt an ache begin to grow inside of her. "Why, Zvarin?"

"For one simple reason: you are the most powerful woman in the Universe. It is absurd that you are only the fusion of two women! Yet your energy, even suppressed, is greater than any of the multiple-times fused females in these galaxies. I know—for I have searched this region which I am King of for a wife for many years, and I have found no one worthy until you. You will be mine."

"That's rather arrogant," Para commented with a frown. "I will not be your wife. I'm not sure about YOUR galaxies, but in my section of the Universe you can't just..."

"I know you have felt my power before as well. It is natural for the most powerful beings to be together."

"AGH!" Para growled, "You sound like my father."

"Then he must be a wise man. You and I have been drawn to each other from across the most vast expanse of space conceivable. Fate has brought you to me. You are my intended."

"Intended? I don't think so."

"I will rule the Universe with you at my side. It's the way things must be."

"I don't want to rule," Para whispered. "I just want to live with my family and be happy."

"You weren't happy on Earth. It seems to me that you didn't seem happy with your family either."

"I love my family, although we have small problems sometimes. I also love living on Earth. It's my home," she said with a nostalgic smile. "I have travelled to dozens of other planets, and there truly is no place like home."

Para gasped as she felt herself forcefully grabbed by the shoulders and pulled painfully up against Zvarin's chest. She felt as though her breasts were being crushed against steel. She could feel his deathlike heartbeat increase from one beat every five seconds to one beat every two seconds. She could see raging violet infernos in his beautiful eyes.

"I will NEVER let you go, Para!"

"Zvarin, stop," she winced, feeling his fingers dig into her shoulders, "you're hurting me!"

"Do you understand me?" he roared, tightening his grip until she thought her bones were being crushed. "Now that I have you, I will never let you go!"

The pain was blinding. She thought she could feel the fracturing of her clavicles and humerus at their joints in his large hands. But through the pain, she discovered a boon. She realized that in his uproar he had released the force field, as her hands instinctively went up to grasp his wrists and try to pry him off of her. She couldn't teleport back to earth while he was touching her. She needed to wrestle him off her first.

Instead, of course, he wrestled her to the ground. She struggled against him, and decided to throw all of her strength into it. But just before she could release the energy needed to power up to Super Saiyan , she felt the force field close in around her again.

_Shit, _she thought in dismay, realizing she had missed her narrow window.

Zvarin smirked down at her with an air of superiority as he held her pinned to the ground with both his body and his force field. He had frozen all of her again.

He moved to grasp her hands, and gently kissed the tips of her index fingers. "As far as I gather, Para, you need your fingers to execute this teleporting skill. Am I correct?"

She didn't respond. She only looked at him in terror. Her heart was pounding, and she was feeling claustrophobic in her own skin with the force field around her inhibiting her movement. What did he intend to do?

"I suppose I could rip your fingers off so that you couldn't teleport back to Earth. That would be quite the solution, wouldn't it be?"

Para couldn't close her eyes to blink as tears began to gather in them at the prospect of never seeing her home again. _I deserve this. It serves me right, doesn't it. Goten, Trunks. How could I live without ever seeing you both again?_

"But then you wouldn't be able to wear the fusion-keeping rings, and if you were to un-fuse by accident you wouldn't be able to fuse again."

Para tried to focus on Zvarin through her blurring eyes. Was he going to keep her as a prisoner or set her free? She didn't understand his intentions. All that she knew was that it was in within his power to do whatever he chose with her. If he chose to rape her at this very moment, she would be powerless to fight back. The force field was too effective.

Zvarin suddenly sneered at her, "Those pussy men on Earth may not realize what a rare gem you are, but I am literally a hundred times the men they are, and I value you for who you are. You will be mine."

With that vehement declaration, Zvarin attacked her lips in a brutal kiss.

Para felt as though her stomach had imploded. Her first instinct was to scream, but the sound was muffled by being unable to open her mouth, and having another face forcing itself against hers. She felt Zvarin's tongue diving between her lips and felt his teeth rake against her bottom lips.

Every saiyan atom of every saiyan molecule of every saiyan organelle of every saiyan cell and every saiyan tissue of her body throbbed in protest and resistance, yearning and yearning to be given a fair chance to _fight_, to do what she was born to do and _fight_. Instead, all that she could do was lie there, imprisoned in the force field, as tears slipped from her eyes. She stopped struggling and trying to make vocalizations, since it was having no effect.

Zvarin raised his hungry face from hers. "Kiss me back," he demanded, piercing her with the violet flames.

She felt that her head was suddenly freed from the bind. Nothing below her neck was mobile. Her first immediate thought went to her Banshee Blast, but she dreaded what Zvarin would do if she disobeyed him. Would he snap his fingers and snap her neck along with it?

She didn't hesitate for long as she opened her lips to grant him access to her mouth. She felt her body invaded by the Alien taste of the man who had already invaded her mind without her consent. She thought of how she could unleash one ear-piercing scream and send a point-blank attack right from her throat and into... but would it be fast enough? Would it be enough to kill him?

She thought of her mothers. She owed it to them, to Bulma and Videl to not gamble with her life. Even if she didn't owe it to herself. _But I do owe it to myself, _Para thought as more tears began to cascade down her cheeks. _I can't just go all kamikaze on Zvarin right now, because my best friend is attached to me, and I'm responsible for her life too. I can't let anything happen to Pan/Bra._

Zvarin very suddenly pulled away from her, feeling her tears. He rubbed his hand over her face, soaking it in the saltwater before clenching his fist in disgust.

"These, too, are universal in what they communicate!" he roared. "Do you know how many women would DIE for the privilege to kiss the supreme ruler of the Seven Galaxies?""

"No," Para answered in a menacingly calm voice. "But I have an idea of how many would die if they didn't."

Zvarin's power level suddenly increased, and a deep green aura surrounded him. Para wondered if he was going to unleash some kind of finishing move on her while she was frozen to the ground.

"I will have you as my wife, Princess Para. You can count on that. I always get what I want," Zvarin sneered at her and she thought that he didn't look quite as handsome as she had previously thought.

"I imagine you do," she answered in the same terrifyingly calm tone. The most she could manage while frozen from the head down was to be disrespectful and insolent. It was something.

"But you will come to me willingly. Do you hear me, Para? I won't stoop to force myself on you. I will have you willingly. When everyone you love turns their back on you for the horrible things that you've done to them, and for all the lies you've told—no one else will love you for who you are but me!"

Para's eyes widened at his words. They struck a chord within her that reverberated with more pain than actually dying could have yielded.

"That's right, little one," Zvarin said with a maniacal laugh. He leaned forward so that his face was very close to hers once more, "I'm setting you free. You may go home to your precious family and precious Earth, but remember that you belong to me. Remember what the outcome will be. In three years or so, when I come for you, you will beg me to take you away. You will happily fall into my arms, and offer yourself to me."

"I cannot think of any fate more horrible than that," Para spat through gritted teeth.

"You will change your mind, Princess." He laughed again. Zvarin pressed his lips against hers once more for another vicious kiss. He pulled away just as violently, and traced her face with his fingers.

"What if I changed it now?" she suddenly said, regretting the words as she spoke them. "What if I chose to be with you now? Would you refrain from traveling to Earth? Would you leave my home planet alone? "

"I am a conqueror. Now that I know there are lands I do not rule, it is necessary that I must venture out and conquer them."

"So there's no bargaining with you."

"No."

"I see," she said. She stared up at her enemy in quiet rage, "You can try to take Earth, but my fathers will stop you."

"Oh, young, foolish girl. You know that no man is my equal!"

She closed her lips tightly. _Checkmate. He's going to come for us, and we're not going to be able to do anything to stop him. He's won, and he knows it._

"And if you're worried about how that pretty boy of yours will feel about all this—Trunks, I believe his name was? Don't be worried. I will kill him."

Something broke inside of her. Her ki skyrocketed. She still couldn't break the force field, but her anger was consuming her body and making her slightly tremble

"If you do that," she said in a soft and achingly sweet voice, "I promise that I will kill myself. If you hurt or murder anyone I love, or any of my family members, I will destroy myself and you won't have me. So think about your plan of attack very carefully, _Lord Zvarin_. I'd hate to think of how many thousands of women you would have to fuse together to make one as powerful as I am."

He seemed to consider her threat very seriously for a moment.

"I am not joking, Zvarin. I do not fear death. I think the afterlife will be quite comfortable for me. My family is very close with the Supreme Kai—with all the Kais. My family has saved the Universe from destruction countless times. Unfortunately, that includes even your lamentable existence."

"I see," he answered. "You know of some things which I do not. Perhaps I will alter my plan to achieve domination. I will consider compromising to your desires."

"Oh, I certainly hope you will. Don't be foolish, Lord Zvarin," she said in a lilting melodious tone, as smooth as honey. It was her turn to give _him_ chills of dread. "You know that no woman is my equal."

Zvarin stared at her for several seconds before nodding.

"This may be true, Para. You are one, only one, amongst billions of beings. I understand your conditions, and as I said before, I am quite reasonable."

Para allowed relief to flood her veins. Had she won the guaranteed safety of her friends, and family, and planet? A massive victory, with just her words?

"But I do not take kindly to being bargained with like a common seller of wares in the market. I WILL have what I want, and I will have it in the WAY I want."

The relief disappeared and the tension was immediately reinstated. Zvarin was advancing on her again, and Para felt that she had not achieved any victory whatsoever. Zvarin positioned his body over hers again and leaned close to her. He pressed his lips against her ear, speaking softly against it.

"There is a man on a nearby planet. A guru of sorts," he hissed, "and this man has been trying to convince me to fuse with him for years. He has the most interesting of skills. Would you like to know what it is, Para?"

She swallowed, and wasn't sure she wanted to know, but was fairly sure she was going to learn anyway.

"He has the ability to make another person forget certain things. A true psychic singularity. The only reason I hadn't already fused with him is because he has rather dull, fine, limp hair. I prefer for my hair to continue being lustrous and voluminous, but I suppose he won't make such a huge impact."

"What is your point?" she asked.

"My point is this, Princess," Zvarin seethed, gripping her face and forcefully yanking her chin so that she faced him squarely in the face. She winced as she felt the bone of her jaw being fractured under his fingers. "When I reach your quaint little ball of mud, I could use that skill on you and make you forget all about your dear old friends and family and home. Then I could murder them right before your eyes, one by one, starting with that little pretty boyfriend of yours, and you wouldn't even care because you wouldn't even remember who he was! Then I would finish with those fathers of yours which are supposedly so strong, but we'll see about that, won't we?"

Para's blood had begun to boil with his words, and tears of wrath had begun to gather in her eyes again. "IF YOU TOUCH THEM!" she screamed, in an ethereal sound that came from deep within her chest. It was painful to move her crushed jaw, but she didn't care. She was beyond feeling pain. "IF YOU DARE HARM THEM! THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

"No, Para, dear. You won't even care a smidgeon. In fact, I could probably ask you to do it for me. Wouldn't that be entertaining? Yes, watching you kill your own flesh and blood! Watching you slaughter the King of Saiyans! The pretty boy with the purple hair, and the one he fights with, Goten!"

Para couldn't control it. The scream which erupted from her chest and was emitted from her mouth was one of such pain and fury that it took on the form of destructive energy. A red beam of light shot out of her mouth like a cannon, directly at Zvarin, at point blank range.

Zvarin quickly moved his head to the side to dodge it, but not before it grazed the side of his head, burning off a chunk of his hair and scalp.

"MY HAIR!" he shouted, moving a hand to his scalp in surprise. "BRAZEN EARTHLING WENCH!"

The angry red ki beam had continued past him to carve a hole into the roof of his conservatory. Para followed it up by spitting on him in disgust.

"And that's what I can do with just my MOUTH, Zvarin!" she shouted. "Test me! If you dare! Free the rest of me from this force field, and have a fair fight with me. FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN! I'll show you what I can do with the REST of my body!"

Zvarin snarled, his eyes and face taking on the look of an angry wild animal. Blood dripped down the side of his head, and he grabbed Para by the throat. He flung her across the room, until she collided with a wall, making a small crater in the stone. He followed an instant later, and resumed his death grip on her throat with one of his hands.

Para knew that she was in danger. If he crushed her neck the way he had already crushed her shoulders and jaw… but no. He wouldn't, right? He wanted her to be his wife. Would that protect her life?

"Sweet Para," Zvarin said in a husky tone, increasing the pressure on her neck, "I would very much like to see what you can do with the rest of your body."

Para was horrified when she saw what was on Zvarin's face. She was so horrified that she forgot that she was being choked half to death. She couldn't believe what was happening when his free hand reached for her skirt and began to pull it up around her hips.

"N-no," she said, her voice muffled by being choked, "K-kami! Stop!"

It had never been more inconvenient to be immobilized. Para closed her eyes and tried to wish it away, she tried to do anything to stop what was about to happen. She felt Zvarin's hands slide to the inside of her thighs, and she didn't know whether she should mentally pray or curse.

When his hands pushed aside her underwear, she heard a pathetic whimpering sound and was disgusted to realize that it was coming from her own partially-strangled throat.

_I can't wait to wet my dick in this tight piece of alien twat._

Her eyes snapped open. The telepathy had chosen this moment to start working again. Being able to read minds had never made her want to projectile vomit quite so strongly. Bile rose in her throat as she felt his large coarse fingers try to navigate their way into her flesh. How she hated those large hands of his. Everywhere they touched her body they seemed to want to destroy her.

Her entrance was closed and dry. She was in the mood for war, not sex. She gritted her teeth as she felt his felt his vulgar fingering rake her most sensitive area. Pain exploded throughout her, but it was more the psychological aspect of the defilement which shook Para to her core.

Since she had been able to fuse, she had felt so invincible. Zvarin was probably the only man in existence who was powerful enough to molest her. It was an unfortunate coincidence that he would also try to exercise that ability…

Power. As he maliciously shoved his fingers inside of her, it clicked in her mind. It wasn't sexual at all, she suddenly understood. Even THIS was about power! He was doing this leisurely; he was enjoying her pain and discomfort. He was enjoying the deliberate torture!

She scowled as he leered at her and briefly paused in his assault to unfasten the heavy metal belt around his waist.

"DO IT!" Para suddenly roared.

He looked at her in confusion, displeased to see that she was no longer whimpering in fear.

"DO IT, ZVARIN!" she challenged again, the force of her voice rumbling against his hand on her neck. "CRUSH EVERY FUCKING BONE IN MY BODY! RAPE ME! DO WHAT YOU CAN TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL LIKE A MAN! IT DOESN'T MATTER! _YOU WILL NEVER BREAK ME!_"

Zvarin removed his hand from her neck in shock at her outburst.

"Do you h-hear me you filthy coward?" Para spat hoarsely, through tears, "I can't be broken. I AM A SAIYAN! Do you understand? A NOBLE SAIYAN WARRIOR! THE PRINCESS OF SAIYANS! YOU WILL_NEVER_ BREAK MY SPIRIT!"

Zvarin moved a few inches away from her in astonishment at the reaction and her skirt fell back around her ankles. The green-haired king took a step back, away from her, and Para suddenly swung forward, launching her fist directly into his jaw.

Bone connected against bone with a sickening crack, and the new Holy Katchin ring on her index finger ripped through his flesh. A broken jaw for a broken jaw, she hoped, but she knew it was unrealistic. Her punch had not been as powerful as it could have been if her shoulders had not been crushed. She was using her ki to move her arms, not her muscles. Also, she would need to be decently powered up, probably to at least Super Saiyan 3 in order to actually harm Zvarin.

Suddenly, it occurred to her that she had been able to move her arms. The force field had disappeared for a second. In his moment of surprise he had loosened his grip on her. She wouldn't miss another window for escape.

Her fingers had never been jammed into her forehead with more speed and accuracy.

* * *

I've had this chapter finished for a week, but I wasn't sure about the almost-rape scene. My apologies to Charlie, Maggie, and Anmylica for bugging them constantly about whether I should include the almost-rape scene. Thanks for all the help, guys. =D I hope everyone likes it.

I've finally found a great use for all of my Anthropology classes other than getting a chance to sit beside the cute boy I had a major crush on since High School: writing about Alien culture and history! No, that was just a joke.

Don't ever take a class merely because you like someone in that class. Unless liking someone motivates you to study extra hard and kick their ass with your grades, like it does to me. =D

* * *

Thank you to my wonderful reviewers! Almost 40 reviews! Believe me, I am walking on air!

**jazzyfizzler:** *SMOOCH* Welcome back! I hope you won't go away again, I sure did miss you! There's really nothing as uplifting and exciting as receiving a review from you. Seriously, like if I were a character in a game, like in Sims or some RPG or something, when I receive a review from you there would be like spiraling sparkly colours and fireworks around my head and all my possible health and energy bars would be filled up! That's the only way I can think to describe it, lol. I love seeing how angry you are at Trunks, lol. It's delicious! You're right, it would be tough to hear a boy talking about his ex so much. (Unless the ex was part of you! HEHEHE. *evil cackle*) I loooooovee your "ALL THE FUCKING HELLS IN THE WORLD BREAK LOOSE." No one is as exciting and energetic as you are! Don't gooooo away anymore!

Thank you for your feedback on the pickles. I feel like crying tears of joy to know that you enjoyed it so much! It's like I made a baby and someone said my baby was beautiful! But they weren't just saying that because you have to say everyone's baby was beautiful, but because they actually meant it! I feel like you mean it! *BAWLS*

One more thing. PLEAASEEEEEEEEEEEE GET INSPIRED SOON! We all need more MBS! Sending tons of hugs and kisses (and inspiration, and wrecking balls threatening to destroy your house if you don't write more soon.) =D

**kickstartmyhart: **I'm glad you liked Marron telling the girls the story! And I'm so glad you're thinking about the effects of the lasting fusion! Can't wait to hear what you think of this one. =)

**manazmama1:** Thanks so much for your review! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I just couldn't end it there, hehe.

**Talk Smith Kid: **It is REALLY hard for me to let go of this story! Lol. I made Zvarin way more of a creep than I originally intended to here. Sorry it took closer to a month to get this one out. I'm trying to work on some original fiction as well at the same time.

**Michelle1Lauren:** Glad you thought the texting was funny! I didn't realize it would sound so funny, lol.

**Zi-Dawg:** You guessed correctly! He does have another way of keeping her fused. There will be plenty of speculating on who she is, don't worry—it just couldn't all fit into last chapter.

**PannyChanBriefs:** Lol, thanks for noticing that. =) Yes, it is hard to remember whether to call her Para or Medea, and you have no idea how many times I've made Goten or Trunks call her "Para" and I had to re-type it. But in my everyday life I tend to go by different names quite often, so I have the same trouble and I've gotten used to being a little more careful so I don't tell people my real name when they shouldn't be knowing it. =D Lol. I'm so glad you felt emotional toward Trunks in this chapter! Seriously, I can't decide whether I pity him or want to smack him!

**Desjanae:** I am so glad you enjoyed it! It was one of my favourite chapters too. Thank you for your lovely review, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

**LNCrow:** I'm sorry, lol. Don't worry, they HAVE to find out eventually! THE TRUTH CANNOT BE CONCEALED FOREVER! Hehehe. Glad you thought the last one was suspenseful! I hope you liked this chappy. =)

**dbzchic62789:** *MUAH* I'm sooo glad that you enjoyed that chapter so much! Thanks for your advice on this one! I kept the almost-rape because you liked it. =)

**gina31486:** It's interesting that you thought Trunks was whiney while others thought he was heartbreaking. I had both things in mind while writing that scene, but the whole purpose was just to show that he trusted Medea before everything went to hell, lol. Your review asks a lot of interesting questions about the complicated situation that both the Z-fighters and Para are in. I hope you like the answers that I have chosen for this chapter, and I hope you like where the storyline continues to go! =)

**Shahi:** I'm delighted that you enjoyed this. Lol, your comments on Goku made me smile! I'm so glad you agree with me on that one. About your wish for who should kill Zvarin… all I can say is *looks around for people listening* Don't worry! I won't disappoint you. =) Also… WOW! I checked out Gilded Blue, and those stories ARE very twisted and refreshing! I've got lots of interesting new reading material, so thank you for the suggestion!

**famoso:** I like what you said about Trunks, and someone needing to tell him off… his character is getting a little immature, and I need to do something about it in future chapters. I can't wait to hear your comments on this chapter!

**Ashley:** Thanks! I hope you liked this one too!

**Jaedeon Sierra: **Thank you for your lovely comments! I love how much feedback you gave me about the length of the chapter and the emotions you felt. I'm not sure what you mean by love/hate, but I'll take it as a compliment, lol. A brain recorder sounds amazing! I'm thinking of getting some software called "Dragon" which records voice to write with… it says it's 3 X faster than typing. The only problem is I'm not sure how comfortable I am with speaking all the things I want to write… I feel like it's a very different process to speak and to write, and I'm much more comfortable using my fingers than my voice. Anyway, I guess I'll give it a shot to see if I can increase the speed of writing.

**KarinKurosakiHitsugaya913:** I'm glad that the enemy has you asking questions! I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

**Suzki:** Thanks for mentioning that there aren't any mistakes! =) That makes me feel great, and like maybe I could actually write original fiction someday. Sorry this update took so long and I couldn't dish them out quickly again. Your PanXBra jokes always make me smile. =D

**huxiz360:** So glad you enjoyed it! Also glad you were fooled about her going to be revealed!

**Anmylica:** Thank you sooooo much for all your help on this chapter. I hope what I chose to do was enjoyable to read! Sorry I couldn't post it sooner—I was pretty busy these past few days. Forgive me! =) I can't wait to hear what you think!

**Supersaiyan2479:** Thanks for your comments on the Gohan speech! Glad you liked it!

**PaintedinAllColors:** Good point. Vegeta going SSJ4 in his tux—he probably should have burst out of it! That was a total oversight on my part, but I really liked the idea of the saiyans fighting in tuxedos, hehehe. Forgive me? Lol Pineapple. I never thought about it that way!

I haven't taken any personality quizzes, but I think I probably would get Vegeta as well. Unless there was a female option, but no one makes a female option!

Thanks for mentioning the Yamcha hating moment. It was subtle, but I'm glad you liked it. =D Lol, congrats on humiliating Yamcha in your dream, it must have been fun!

I really think a female villain is a good idea. There have only been minor female villains throughout the series like Mai, Princess Snake, and Oceanus Shenron. No biggies as fall as I recall offhand! =)

**KayuraK:** I had never heard of Tyler Perry movies, but I looked it up after your review. Hmm, not quite what I was going for, but I guess Greek mythology and the opera isn't the first thing on everyone's mind. (I'm not a big fan of pop culture.) I also hadn't heard of dueling banjos, and I when I listened to it on Youtube I found myself wondering which of my love scenes could be set to that music. The mushier ones like the scene in space? Surely not the Para/Trunks one… or the almost-rape scene here? But anyway, I realize that the content of this story is very bizarre and immoral sometimes, and I apologize for that. I often find myself pushing my own boundaries as well as I write it. I hope that it has at least been an interesting and fun ride for you, and worth tolerating the parts you found painful. =)

**Marie Fortune:** I'm so sorry it took so long! I hope you enjoyed it!

**SSJ-Pan-chan:** Hehehe, you're right, the girls are totally digging their own graves. Welcome to the story, and I hope you will continue to enjoy it!

**mali86:** So glad you're excited about this story!

**Lory Manzanita:** The line you chose as your favourite line of the story is also my favourite. =) "Little did Para or Trunks know that something was about to happen which would change everything and make their little lunch date impossible. It would be a very, very long time before anyone saw Bra again." But perhaps from this chapter you can see that it didn't exactly mean what you might have thought it meant! No one is going to see Bra for a while… but they might be seeing Para! Hehehe. I'm so thrilled that you enjoyed this chapter, and my sincerest apologies for taking so long to publish this!

**Arian:** Thank youuuuuu! I still LOVE your reviews, and I am so, so, so happy that you liked it. I'm surprised to hear you don't think my story is twisted, but also a little bit happy. =) I try to make even the worst things seem slightly normal.

**Anonymous:** Awww, I'm glad you think Bra is sweet. =) I know what you mean about GT Pan. It's pretty disappointing, but her strength is still there in moments. Thank you for your review!

**RandomTask:** Thank you for FINALLY reading my last two chapters! It doesn't take much to make me happy, but this totally does it. =D I'm not THAT high maintenance (I think) but this is like my oil change. You have to change my oil! I didn't know you were a wreck after social events! If I were a guy, I wouldn't be writing romance/adventure fanfiction. I'd be out there in the world having romantic adventures, because there are plenty of awesome girls to romance and plenty of awesome adventures to adventure! It's not the same for girls. For girls, the world is best avoided completely. =(

"Bart, tell me something…WHO WERE YOU when you wrote this chapter? Did you hire a ghost writer? This is the funniest you've ever ever ever been! This is PURE GOLD."

Well, first of all, I'm really not a guy named Bartholomew, and second of all, thanks for your utter lack of faith in my ability to be funny! So much that you think that I hired a GHOST WRITER! HMPH.

But I'm glad the pickles were the funniest thing you've ever read in your life. =) You're the best, and thanks for reading and reviewing! =) It makes me soooo happy!

**Silver Shiko:** I loved your comments on Chi-Chi, lol. I have some interesting plans for her character, and I think you'll be surprised to see where I take things with respect to her. She will be very important in this story, and that's why I keep including her in small moments like her hands shaking with the plates, and holding Para's earrings. Thanks for reviewing, hope you continue to read and enjoy the story!

**kitty:** You are so sweet! Thank you so much for your amazing compliments! They made me feel so wonderful. I am so glad the story has touched you so much that it made you cry! I hope you continue to enjoy it. =)

**Mr Blue22:** True—except for one thing. Pan and Bra are never around lately. They have been staying away from their families since the breakups. That way, the families hardly ever see the girls, and they're used to them not being around, so they can't put it together so easily.

**lunar2eternal:** The villain reminds you of Zarbon because of the sexy green hair. =) Other than that, no similarities. You said it was "funny how para landed on Metamora. I would have thought she'd pick up on that immediately." Well, technically no one in the series of DB/DBZ/DBGT ever sets foot on Metamora. It is only spoken of by Goku when he returns for a day from the Otherworld. He met dead Metamoran warriors there. Even on the Grand Tour they didn't make it to Metamora, and I assume that's because it's too far away.

**ikcjjt:** When I read your review, it really put a smile on my face and inspired me. I loved how you used the word "rapist" and it made me think that perhaps I should literally make Zvarin a rapist. Your review was what inspired the almost-rape scene in this chapter, so I do hope you enjoy it. I also liked what you said: "Power levels aren't everything Vegeta and Zvarin." It's true—the most powerful people are so obsessed with power that it consumes them and makes them blind to other things, and other traits of people.

**ScarlettRose4Love:** What I meant by him saying she couldn't defeat his will is kind of complex. Most of the battles are fought by brute strength, but most of the powers that Zvarin used, especially last chapter, were psychic. Those powers are created by the will, and a person's mental strength. Therefore "you cannot defeat my will" is basically saying "my mind is more powerful than your mind" instead of constantly referring to physical strength like Vegeta does. =)

**hot4dbz:** I hope you had fun on your vacation! Thanks for your review. You seemed a little less energetic and less crazy than normal in that review so I hope you're feeling well and everything's OK with you. =) Take care!

**liliexxz:** I'm so glad you like the creativity of the plot! Thanks for your review!

**Apri-Chan:** Welcome to the story! I'm so glad to hear it draws you in like that! Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you continue to enjoy the chapters to come!

* * *

More chapters to come soon! If you'd like to read more of this story, or chat with me and other readers, please come on over to our Facebook group. Chapters will be posted there long before here, so you can be the first to see new story content! Just search for "Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak" on Facebook. =) See you there!


	21. The Safest Place

_Chapter Twenty-One: The Safest Place_

I was initially intending to make Zvarin only a combination of twenty people, but I changed my mind literally at the last second. The main reason I changed my mind was because of the song "Africa" by Toto. I wanted to be able to think of Para whenever I hear the lyrics:

_It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you_  
_There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do_

Hehe. If you want the full experience reading this chapter, I recommend that you go back and read a little bit of the last one to refresh you a bit on what happened and get into the dark mood. (I know it's been a little while.)

Enjoy!

~PanHopeNvs (Nadia Scrieva)

* * *

Para returned to Earth, finding herself on the destroyed stairs not far away from Vegeta and Gohan; they were the most conspicuous energy signals on the planet. Everything was still blurry through her tearful and dizzied vision.

She quickly turned away from her fathers and collapsed into a seated position on the stairs. She drew several deep shuddering breaths, and pulled her knees up to her chest. She hugged her knees tightly as she rested her head on her knees, trying to forget the sensation of Zvarin's hands all over her body.

She had never felt so small.

_I'm home, _she told herself. _I'm home. That ordeal is over. And I came out of it with knowledge of the enemy. I need to look on the bright side of things. So many positive aspects. Many, many positive aspects._Through her daze of pain and humiliation, Para heard voices speaking to her. They were familiar voices; some were kind and some were gruff, but she could not seem to understand what any of them were saying. She only knew that none of them were Zvarin's voice, and this was massively comforting.

The Z-fighters had all changed out of their tuxedos and into their battle garb. Vegeta wore Saiyan armor while the others all wore fighting gis. The women had also changed out of their evening clothes and into more comfortable garments. It was early in the wee hours of the morning, and everyone was tired, but kept awake by their concern about the identity and purpose of the strange girl from the future.

Only Para looked out of place, still wearing her tattered ball gown. Her hair had completely fallen out of its up-do and fanned out across her back and around her shoulders in loose curls. She was still barefoot. She hugged her knees tightly, oblivious to the world around her except for the fact that she was on Earth and in the Capsule Corp. compound; one of the places she loved most in the entire Universe. What more did she need to know?

"Medea, are you alright?" Gohan asked with concern. Having a daughter made him sensitive to the signs of female distress. Curling up into a ball was never a good one.

"Girl, quit your blubbering. I know you're scared of me, but I promised Trunks not to attack you for five minutes," Vegeta said haughtily, his arms crossed across his chest. "You and I need to discuss certain vital matters."

Para did not hear any of it. She just concentrated on taking deep breaths to calm her anger and wayward emotions. She just concentrated on being thankful that she could fully expand her lungs, now that she was out of the confines of the force field. Breathing in and out slowly and deliberately, she hugged her knees even tighter.

"Medea?" Trunks asked kindly, approaching her, "I'm really sorry that we all attacked you earlier. I'm really sorry that_ I_ attacked you. I was just so shocked to see that you were concealing so much strength. I'd like to have a word with you in private if you don't mind."

Para did not move or respond to any of the questions.

"I'm really curious about what the future is like!" Goten added. "What's wrong? Are you mad at us? Look, I know I overreacted about the pickles. I'm really sorry too…"

Their voices washed over her like soothing warm breezes. Female voices mixed in as well—mothers and grandmothers and things like that, and even curious little girls. Para dug her forehead into her knees, feeling bone against bone. Her kneecaps dug into her eyebrows, providing what would have felt like a rather nice massage if the lower part of her face had not been fractured.

"Medea, dear? We need to know why you came back from the future," Bulma said. "Also, why did you lie to us?"

"It is time to talk about things," Videl demanded.

"Stop it, all of you!" Chi-Chi yelled suddenly. "Can't you see that she's trembling? Back off. Let the poor girl have some space!"

Everyone did as Chi-Chi had commanded in her shrill but effective screech. Only Marron, after turning to her husband and handing him their baby, ventured forward, disturbed by the fact that Para was indeed shaking.

"Sweetie," she spoke in a soft voice. "I brought those shoes you asked for."

When there was no response, Marron fished into the purse on her shoulder and pulled out the shoes. She carefully laid them down on the stairs close to Para's bare feet. She stood above her friend, looking down on her in concern. Para was completely unresponsive. Glancing back at the Z-fighters, Marron fought between the need to comfort her friend and the need to maintain appearances of innocence. _Screw it, _she thought, _something is really wrong and I need to find out if she's OK. _Marron carefully sat down beside Para on the stairs, and gently touched one of her arms—her arms were strained with how tightly they hugged her knees. Long indigo hair fell forward around the saiyan woman's bowed head, creating a protective curtain around her huddled form. Marron tenderly reached out to comb back the curtain, trying to remove the barrier between herself and her friend. She brushed the hair over Para's shoulders.

What she saw immediately made Marron gasp and bring her hands to her face.

"Oh, god! Oh my _god_!" Marron moaned. After the initial shock of seeing the bluish bruises in the shapes of giant handprints on her friend's shoulders, Marron felt tears gather in her eyes, and her own hands begin to quiver. She shook her head in disbelief. She didn't think she had ever seen such a bruise on tough saiyan skin. She instinctively knew that no one in the room was the cause of those bruises

"Kami, Para… uh, Para-medic! She needs a paramedic!" Marron fumbled, clumsily covering up her slip, and running her unsteady hands over the fused girl's shoulder to inspect her bruises. "There are broken bones."

"Are you OK, Marron?" Uub asked in concern and confusion at his wife's strange behaviour. "We have an infirmary right here if she needs it."

Marron swallowed. "Of course… how silly of me. I'm just freaking out. She looks pretty beat up…"

Para however, had lifted her head a few inches off her knees. Hearing her true name spoken and feeling a tender caress had startled her out of her meditative state. She lifted her eyes to look to the person who had spoken her name. _Marron?_ Para asked telepathically, trying to sit up. She would have spoken, but her throat felt too sore.

Marron gasped again, putting a hand on her chest. "Dende!" She reached out and pulled Para into an embrace. The bruises on her friend's jaw and neck were even more horrible than the ones on her shoulders. Marron knew that Para could hardly feel her hug, and that it would not cause her any additional pain. The blonde woman's detective intuition filled her imagination with all the gaps in the story. It could only be left to imagine who could harm Para like this.

Marron vaguely remembered Gotenks returning from a premature fight with Buu with a giant black eye. This was a million times worse than that. Para was not a foolish child who was unaware of her limitations and rushing off into battle. And the Buu monster—well, part of him had ended up being reincarnated as her husband, and the other part had ended up fusing with her husband. So in effect, she had married that monster. He was now part of their team.

And she didn't think Uub was strong enough to hurt Para like this. She didn't think Uub was strong enough to hurt the person who had hurt Para like this. This was bad.

Para gratefully accepted her friend's embrace. Marron was stroking her hair, and she drew strength from this small show of compassion. Para took a few more deep trembling breaths, before pulling away and giving Marron a reassuring smile. She looked into Marron's sky-blue innocent eyes, and her heart broke at the thought of losing her along with everyone else. _I will never let Zvarin harm a hair on your head, Marron. Your hair is way too pretty. Zvarin has pretty hair too, of course, but I think I would sell my soul for the opportunity to rip it all directly out of his revolting head…_

"Talk to me," Marron said softly. "Unless… Kami. I saw your neck. Are you… unable to speak?"

Para swallowed, and was suddenly aware of the painfulness of swallowing. There was definitely some damage in her larynx.

"I can speak. It's good to see you," she said, hoarsely. She could hear and feel the difference in her voice, but she just ignored it and hugged Marron harder. "Thank Dende you're here."

Marron and Para did not know that the affectionate display really was causing everyone around to consider the possibility that Para was one of Marron's daughters from the future. Everyone was eyeing Nyssa and Olive suspiciously, and comparing their appearances to Para.

"Sweetie, what happened to you?" Marron asked softly, giving her a knowing, understanding look. The blonde woman was the only one who knew Para's true identity. This was somehow exactly what Para needed at the moment. She glanced around at all of the people who did not know who she was, and decided to try to play it off as nothing for now. She did not want to cause a scene or get anyone worried. She just wanted to get to bed. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to forget.

"My instant transmission sucks," she croaked. She gave a small self-deprecating smile, "That's all."

"What happened here?" Marron asked, reaching out and touching Para's jaw gingerly. "As far as I heard, everyone in this room had a go at you and no one left a scratch."

Para nodded, again trying to force a smile. "The strongest man in the universe just wiped the floor with me."

"What?" Trunks asked in concern, moving forward. "What happened?"

"I just had a bit of a squabble with this guy," Para said, hating the sound of her cracking voice. She waved her hand in dismissal. "He kind of… uh, crushed my shoulders, and strangled me a tiny bit. Just a tiny bit. Nothing too serious, I'm perfectly fine. These things happen."

Marron studied her friend's face carefully with a frown, as though she could read that there was more Para was hiding. She had never seen Para lie or conceal information, but she knew Pan and Bra well enough to figure Para out easily enough. She studied the bruises a bit more, and swallowed. She could see from the imprint on Para's neck that Zvarin had only used one hand to strangle her. She noticed Para was rubbing her bruised right hand with her left.

"And your hand?" she asked.

Para grimaced, looking down shamefully. "I broke it on his face."

"You fought with him?" Goten asked, with worry in his voice. "Did he attack you?"

Para winced at the memories. She answered in a grating voice, "No. Not really. These bruises are just from him grabbing me… I don't think he actually even meant to hurt me. It was... an accident."

"Oh, sweetie. Your lips are bleeding, too…"

Para moved her hand up to touch her lips. She withdrew her fingers and saw a single drop of blood. She stared at it. She closed her eyes, trying to forget. She just wanted to go to bed and curl up under the blankets for days and days. She needed to just sleep and forget about Zvarin.

"What did he say to you?" Marron asked, as quietly as possible. She yearned to carry on a private conversation with Para, but she knew that saiyan ears could hear every word. It was pointless. "Can you tell us what he wants?"

That's when Para broke. She looked around the room at her friends and family and saw their concerned, confused, and puzzled looks. But mostly she saw the faces of those she loved more than anything. More than life itself. She looked up at Trunks' concerned face, and her insides just shattered.

_Then I could murder them right before your eyes, one by one, starting with that little pretty boyfriend of yours, and you wouldn't even care because you wouldn't even remember who he was! Then I would finish with those fathers of yours who are supposedly so strong, but we'll see about that, won't we?_

She began to tremble again, and she felt wetness on her cheeks as tears slid from her eyes. _Daddy. Trunks... _Para found herself wishing she could go to them, and hug them tightly until she felt strong again. But they did not even know her.

Gohan was puzzled by the large watering sapphire eyes which stared at him heartbrokenly. He glanced at Videl who shared a look of confusion with him before he looked back at the distraught young girl on the stairs.

"Is there something I can do to help?" Gohan asked, gently.

Para shook her head before lowering it, and wrapping her arms around herself tightly. She felt tears trickle into her lips, and they brought with them the taste of salt and Zvarin. The metallic alien taste of Zvarin which had lingered on her lips invaded her mouth again, catching a ride with her tears, and the revulsion caused her body to be wracked with a sob. Her shoulders moved jerkily with the sob, and she could hear and feel the crushed bones in them actually cracking. The saiyans in the room could also hear the noises her bones made and glanced at each other, grimacing. She moved both of her hands across her chest to grasp her shoulders as if it would somehow ease the pains or help to keep them together.

Although her body was a mess of pains, nothing bothered her more than the fresh taste of Zvarin on her lips and tongue. He did not taste like a human or saiyan man. His taste was unique, memorable. It was not a bad taste, but because it was his, it was nauseating to her. _It tastes a bit coppery… a bit sour and bitter, like tomatoes. _The feeling of his lips and body pressed against hers came rushing back.

Para suddenly turned away from Marron and placed a hand on the stairs to brace herself as she felt bile rise in her throat. She felt her body heave with nausea and she placed a hand over her mouth.

"Oh, goodness..." said Chi-Chi softly, raising a hand to her cheek and looking on with sympathy.

Para's crushed shoulders shook with a combination of retching and sobbing, but she managed to just barely control her stomach enough so that she did not actually vomit. The hand that had covered her mouth wiped cold sweat off her forehead before moving to clutch her turbulent, mutinous stomach.

Marron's blood ran cold. She shuddered, watching Para combat her nausea. As far as she knew, fear of an enemy, even the most dreadful fear of the vilest enemy, did not normally result in the urge to vomit. She shut her eyes tightly as her woman's intuition told her what type of encounter Para had just teleported in from. This man must be a special type of enemy…

"Shhh," Marron said, rubbing Para's back. "It's going to be OK, sweetie. You're safe now."

"None of us are safe!" Para whispered, her voice coming out in a ugly rasp. She turned to look at her friend in the eyes, her deep blue pained irises meeting Marron's clear pale ones.

"Can you tell me what he said to you?" Marron asked softly.

Para shook her head violently, and she placed her hands over her ears as though she could still hear Zvarin's speaking, "No. No!"

Marron sighed, and reached out to hug her friend again. Para buried her face into Marron's shoulder and sobbed against her.

"Sweetie," Marron said, rubbing Para's bruised shoulder. She was careful not to use her real name again although she wanted to in order to properly console her. In truth, Marron was terrified to see her friend—her two powerful friends crying like this. She could feel the hopelessness that Para felt. This wasn't petty—this wasn't about Trunks or Goten. The girls didn't cry over the boys, they got even.

This was about war. This was about the enemy that Uub had been worrying about so much that he had been unable to sleep. This was Z-team business. Marron's daughters, Nyssa and Olive, moved closer curiously, watching their mother hold this strange woman they had never seen before.

"How bad is it?" Marron asked softly. She knew everyone could hear her. It was impossible, trying to have a private conversation like this—every word would have to have a double meaning.

"It's horrible. It's so horrible. I can't defeat him. I can't defeat him! No one can..."

"Defeat who? What do you know? How strong is he?" Uub asked aggressively. "Who is…"

Marron held up a finger and shot a firm look at her husband, silencing him. She returned the hand to its previous occupation of soothing Para, and asserted, "There's always a way. We'll get through this. We always have. Uub's been training..."

"It won't be enough! Kami, it won't be enough," Para pulled away from her friend and smashed her fist into the staircase, feeling it crumble beneath her hand. "I'm useless! I trained so hard and I couldn't even move. He has this... mind technique. It puts a force field around me... I couldn't even move."

"Mommy?" Nyssa asked, sucking on her thumb. "Why is the Cinderella princess crying?"

Marron and Para looked at Nyssa in surprise. Para looked down at her ruined ball-gown and thought about how ridiculous she looked. _And I nearly vomited in my Cinderella dress. Real classy!_

"I read them that story last night," Marron explained with a small smile.

"And she still didn't try on the glass slippers," Olive pointed out.

Para noticed the silver shoes beside her feet for the first time. It felt so ridiculous now, to care about footwear. She forced herself to smile at Nyssa and Olive, and obediently slipped her feet into the silver shoes that Marron had brought for her.

"See, girls? They're a perfect fit!"

"Yaaaayyy!" shouted Nyssa cheerfully, "That means you get to marry the prince!"

Para's smile disappeared. She shivered. She slowly looked around the room, making eye contact with everyone. Her face became deathly serious.

"So why were you crying, Cinderelly?" Nyssa asked again.

"There's a really big monster out there, Nyssa."

"Is he very strong?"

"Very."

"Can my daddy beat him?"

Para looked up at Uub, who was nervously holding Oren and watching her. She didn't have the heart to tell Nyssa that her father wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell. Para swallowed, and restraining herself from being overpowered by another onslaught of agony, she simply nodded.

"Sure. If your daddy trains a lot, he should be able to beat him."

"I'll train too," Nyssa said enthusiastically. "I'll train with my sister and my Grandma and we'll be ready to fight the monster too!"

Para glanced at Android 18. The woman's face was expressionless. It snapped Para back to full awareness of the situation. This was a war council, and she was the only one with information. And she was crying and whimpering like a little girl, probably not because Zvarin was impossibly powerful and intended to kill everyone she loved, but because her pride had been damaged from being almost-raped.

_Get it together, Para. Get it together. _She realized that it had almost been lucky that she had accidentally teleported to Metamora. Now she did have information she could tell the Z-fighters, and she could pretend that it came from knowledge of the future.

"OK. I'm going to be the first to state the obvious," Trunks said, a little bit angrily. "Marron, you know who she is?"

Marron looked up at him. "Yeah. I know who she is. If you want to know the truth, your mother hired me to investigate Medea when you began dating her."

"She did wha—," Trunks began to speak, but he just shook his head and decided to keep quiet.

"I found a few things that didn't add up—for example, Medea had no past at all up until a few weeks ago. I confronted her personally, and she came clean with me."

Marron sent Para a private look that said "_I've got your back!" _before turning to the others and continuing. "She told me she was from the future, and that she was here to monitor a potential threat to Earth. She said she didn't want to alarm anyone before it was absolutely necessary. I helped her to fake a current driver's license that gave her a more reasonable birth date, and helped her to get a place to stay. She's one of us, and she's here to help us."

Everyone around seemed to be processing this information. Everyone seemed to be accepting and believing it for the first time.

Para looked at her friend appreciatively for corroborating the ridiculous story and conspiring with her as always. The lies seemed so small and foolish now that there was real danger at hand, but she could not exactly back out of them.

Marron glanced at the time, a little bit confused about how long was left in Para's fusion and how much time had passed.

"Let me get this straight," Vegeta spoke, very carefully and angrily as he glared at Para. He held out an accusing finger, pointing at Marron. "You went to HER? You needed to confide in someone about this omnipotent threat to the Universe, and you went to this weakling blonde HUMAN? What can she do? What on Earth does she know about fighting? You're SUPPOSED to go to the head of the Z-team! Someone with power, seniority, and a BRAIN!"

Para slowly rose to her feet then, facing Vegeta squarely in the face and crossing her own arms. She'd had enough. She loved her father, but he had struck one nerve too many.

"Oh, I would have, Vegeta. That was my first thought," she said in her raw, scratchy voice. "I'm travelling back in time because there's danger afoot that we can't face and I need to tell the head of the Z-team immediately! Then it occurred to me that in this time period both Goku and Piccolo are dead."

"Ohhhhhhhhohohoho!" Krillen exclaimed. "BUUUUURRRRRRNNNNNN!"

"Put a sock in it, shrimp-dumpling!" Vegeta spat, as he advanced on Para. He stopped when he stood directly in front of her and crossed his arms. "I told Trunks I would wait at least five minutes after you returned before attacking you and finding out your true strength. It has been far longer than that, and I need my information. Show me your maximum power."

"Is that really important?" she asked tiredly. "Wouldn't you rather know about the enemy? Don't you want to know what he wants?"

"I want to know everything. Starting with your strength. Show it to me."

Para yawned, although it hurt her throat. She yearned for sleep. "I don't think this is the right time for that, Vegeta." She thought about bed; wonderful, peaceful bed. Her three beds. Two beds at Bra's house, and one at Para's own house. All beds were comfy. Any bed would do. Dark curtains. Warm blankets. Safety.

"Then I'll just have to beat it out of you. Let's go. You and me, girl."

"Didn't we do that already?" she groaned, looking up from her position on the stairs. "Didn't it end with you face first in the floor?"

"No, it ended with you running away."

"Oh, that's right. Fine then. Hit me. I'm not running anymore."

"It would be my pleasure. You don't have to invite me twice." Vegeta said this before launching his fist directly into Para's already broken jaw.

Marron gasped, feeling the wind and heat of the impact from sitting so close to Para. "Vegeta, please don't!" The older man growled at her, and Marron moved away from him in a hurry, rushing to stand near Uub and her father.

Bulma winced, having watched the girl go flying up the staircase. She had seen plenty of people fall _down _the stairs, (usually women trying to induce miscarriages in soap operas) but she had never seen someone fly _up_ the stairs.

"Really, Vegeta," Bulma said angrily, "she's already hurt!"

"And do you think I care about that, woman?" Vegeta said, turning Super Saiyan 2 mid-flight as he pursued his prey. Para was lying limply at the top of the staircase, staring blankly at the ceiling. Vegeta grabbed the girl who was partly his daughter and lifted her limp body up into the air before slamming her down hard onto his knee. Her spine connected with his knee and a loud noise was heard.

"Vegeta, stop hurting her," Goten said angrily, "She's not even fighting back!"

Para turned her head at the sound of Goten's voice, and stared at him through tired, blurry vision. _Goten, _she thought, as Vegeta yanked her upright and held her by her bruised neck. _My Goten. _Vegeta proceeded to repeatedly punch Para in the face as he held her firmly in place. Each punch made her head swing until it was at over a 90 degree angle from its natural position. Still, she stared at Goten, with a bittersweet kind of contentment. _I thought I would never see you again. I thought I would never hear your voice again. Goten._

Goten could only take so much of watching Para get pummelled. He flew at Vegeta, grabbing his elbow. "Stop it, Vegeta!"

"Get off me, boy!" Vegeta shouted, slamming his elbow into Goten and sending the younger saiyan flying across the room. Growling, he tossed the limp Para back down the stairs.

She went sliding and rolling down half of the staircase before Trunks intervened to catch her. He was angry with her for lying, sure, but he couldn't watch his father abuse her either. He held her gently against him, surprised at how limp she felt and how pained her eyes were.

"Are you alright, Medea?" he asked. "Dammit. I shouldn't have let my dad touch you."

"You are too weak to have any say in the matter, son," Vegeta said before materializing in front of Trunks and ripping Para out of his grasp by her hair. Para felt the pain in her scalp before she felt the heat of a ki ball forming at point blank range with her chest. The ki ball exploded and sent Para hurtling across the ballroom. She crashed into a wall and slid down it, lying in a defeated heap. _Sleepy-time, _she thought to herself. _Daddy's tucked me in and the bed bugs won't bite. So much for war council. No one wants to know about the bad guy. They just want to know about me. I am the bad guy._

"Vegeta, you really need to stop," Gohan said firmly. "You know that this isn't getting us anywhere. She's obviously been through some kind of traumatic…"

"Bullshit," Vegeta said harshly. "Whether she thinks it or not, I am the leader of our team. I think this is helping quite a bit! At least it's helping me let off some steam, anyway."

As he flew after Para, Videl rolled her eyes before addressing Bulma sarcastically. "Does that man of yours ever run out of 'steam?'"

"Only when I want him to get steamy," Bulma muttered in annoyance, earning curious looks from the other women. Android 18 even let out a little snicker which she quickly covered up by acting extra-indifferent.

Krillen cleared his throat as everyone watched Vegeta kicking the girl who was lying motionlessly on the floor. "Guys, this is getting pretty messed up. Someone needs to stop him."

Meanwhile, Para had closed her eyes and just allowed Vegeta to kick the stuffing out of her. _I deserve this, _she thought to herself while his boot sunk itself into her stomach again and again. _I deserve this for lying to them all. We're in the middle of something real, something important, and I chose now to act like a child and make this whole fusion-revenge plan… they need a warrior, not a child. Why am I such a fucking infant?_

Opening her eyes a tiny bit, she looked past Vegeta's bulging calves and took in the concerned faces of her families. Her gaze floated specifically to Trunks and Goten. _I did it for them, _she remembered, allowing a small smile to come to her lips, and a pang of real emotional pain to touch her insides. _Because those idiots make me crazy and I love them so! And I'd do it again. Anything to be close to them. Anything to hurt them, and love them and… oh, Kami, I'm so confused. What do I want again?_

_I want us all to stay alive. But mostly I just want to sleep. I can take a nap right here, can't I? The floor is comfy. _A boot connected with her ribcage, forcing the air out of her. _More broken bones? This is a bad day. And yet, if Zvarin gets his way—I may look back and consider this a good day. The best of days. I'm in a room filled with my family and friends, and we're spending quality time together. They're even giving me all this attention. I should feel special. But all I want to do is get away from them and find a bed._

"Dad, stop. I mean it," Trunks said angrily. "You've gone too far."

Vegeta did stop kicking then, prompted by Trunks' words and a growing sense of boredom at Para's lack of reaction. Para was drifting off to sleep as she lay there listlessly. In her half-asleep state she saw Zvarin in her mind. She could see his angry face, contorted in rage. She felt his hand on her neck again. Vegeta's yelling confused her mind, and his voice jumbled together with Zvarin's, creating one awful, dominating voice. The images of a nightmare danced across her mind, and although she had forced herself to sleep to forget the experience with Zvarin, it seemed that sleep would not liberate her anytime soon.

"Why aren't you fighting back, girl?" Vegeta growled at the corpse-like body on the floor.

"I think she's just not in the mood to play," Android 18 offered with a shrug.

"Momma," Nyssa exclaimed, "Uncle Veggie killed the Cinderella princess!"

"She's not dead, stupid," Olive told her younger sister with an air of superiority. "Feel her energy. It's exactly the same as before. He barely even hurt her."

"Out of the mouths of babes," Krillen said in surprise. "I hadn't even noticed that she was unhurt!"

"Not on the outside," Marron said softly.

"You're a very clever girl, Olive," Gohan remarked in surprise. "You can sense ki very well."

"My daddy taught me," Olive answered proudly.

"Idiots!" Vegeta yelled. "Stop your babbling! Can't you see how she's toying with me! I'm trying to fight with her and she just goes to sleep. The insolence! I will not tolerate this. I am the Prince of Saiyans, and I deserve respect! You will fight back and show me your true power, girl!"

Vegeta yelled out and transformed to Super Saiyan 4. He didn't stop there, but continued to power up until white energy swirled around him. Para was blown back several meters by the energy, and snapped out of her nightmares by the feel of his power. Although she had only been half-asleep for a few seconds, the seconds had felt like hours. Everything inside of her mind was confusion and din. Sharp pains pierced her brain.

Para sighed, still lying motionlessly. "I'm too tired to do this now, Vegeta. Phooey. I think I might need a drink."

"Uh, we still have plenty of champagne left over from the party, dear," Bulma said. "Would you like some?"

"Yes, please," Para said, turning her head to look at her mother. "I would love a bottle of the good stuff."

"I could use a drink myself, but I've already had too many," Bulma admitted as she headed to one of the various makeshift bars erected throughout the ballroom. As Vegeta continued powering up, Bulma grabbed a bottle and a glass, and walked over to where Para lay on the ground. Her skirts were rustled by the wind of Vegeta's energy, but she ignored it. "Here you go dear… would you like me to pour for you?"

"No, thank you," Para said, groaning and pulling herself off the ground to a seated position, "I'll just drink straight from the bottle."

Using her finger to break the bottleneck instead of undoing the cork, Para allowed the liquid to explode and fizzle out before putting the broken bottle directly to her lips and pouring its contents down her throat.

"Imbecile!" Vegeta shouted, as flames of white energy radiated off him, "How dare you mock me by enjoying a celebratory beverage before our battle has concluded. I'm going to crush you!"

"You're the one 'battling' Vegeta. I didn't ask for this. All I want is sleep." Para finished chugging the contents of the bottle and placed it aside in disappointment. "Alcohol doesn't do much for me, but it was worth a shot. Thanks, Bulma."

"You're welc…" Bulma began, but was interrupted by her own gasp as she watched Vegeta fly towards the girl at full power. "You wouldn't! Vegeta, don't! How can you…"

Vegeta's knee connected with her face, slamming Para back into the wall. She groaned, lifting a hand to her face and wiping the blood away from her probably-broken nose. She cricked her neck from side to side, feeling a tad bit dizzy. _First Zvarin, now my daddy. I've really been a bad girl to deserve all this, haven't I? Well, yes, I have, but it's still not fair. It's still not nice to hit a girl. I didn't hurt anyone…_

_That's right. I lied, but I haven't hurt anyone. Not yet. Trunks and Goten both hurt me emotionally, and I haven't even gotten a chance to strike out at them yet in the same way. Nothing that leaves the kind of lasting impression their hurts did on me. Now I'm getting physically beat on by Zvarin and Vegeta and I didn't make the first strike or even ask for it. But at least… at least right now, if I chose to, I could fight back._

The realization hit Para like a ton of bricks. No, it hit her like several tons of boulders. Or perhaps it hit her with the force of dozens of small asteroids.

The point is that it only just occurred to her that she was no longer neutralized by Zvarin's force field. Her power was no longer inhibited. She didn't have to lie there and take Vegeta's onslaught like a rag doll. She was free from captivity. She had the option of defending herself. And she knew Vegeta's power and skill like the back of her hand: there were no mystical surprises. She knew. She knew who he was, and he did not know who she was. She had a whole arsenal of special attacks she had birthed in the Time Chamber which would catch Vegeta by surprise.

She had the advantage. Her skeletal structure might have been a radiologist's worst nightmare at the moment, but her power did not only originate in her body. Her power was deep inside, in her soul. Her body was just a vehicle, and she could drive it any way she wanted. She did not have to suffer any more physical pain—no! She could instead be the bringer of the pain. She would dish out pain in buckets, in waterfalls, in blinding explosions. She would take the humiliation and helplessness that Zvarin had made her feel, and cast it out of her mind and body—and into Vegeta's. Since he was volunteering, and all. She would let off some of her own steam on him.

And she had a hell of a lot of steam to let off.

"I think I can take you," Para said softly. "Today, I can. Sure, I'm gravely injured already, but today is just one of those days. Here I am, bordering on the cusp of insanity. Probably couldn't do it any other day, but I might be able to today. So why not?"

"What on earth are you rambling about?" Vegeta asked scornfully, "Shut up and fight me."

Vegeta launched an attack aimed directly at her chest, but at the last second she reflexively tried to dodge it. Instead, his fist connected with her already-crushed shoulder. Para screamed, and clutched the shoulder in real pain. Everyone in the room was shocked into speechlessness by Vegeta's brutality.

Para began to laugh. She raised herself to her feet, clutching the shoulder. She laughed harder. She was on the verge of being hysterical.

"Wow, Vegeta," she said, smiling derisively. "Cheap shot, but OK. I'm awake. You've gotten my attention. Of course, you're just an _ant _compared to the man who just beat the shit out of me a few minutes ago, so don't expect me to be too terrified."

"An ant? You're calling me an ant?" Vegeta roared.

"Yeah," Para said, moving her feet apart into a battle stance. She used her ki to lift her injured arms into form, ignoring the ache in the no-longer functional joints. She was far past the point of caring about her pain. "Compared to Zvarin, we are all little ants. But you don't want to know about him, do you? You want to ignore the real enemy and hurt your already injured ally, right? Cool. Whatever. Happy to oblige."

Vegeta's face broke out into a grin of pleasure. "Finally ready to stand up to me, are you, girl? I'm powered up to full-fledged Super Saiyan 4 and I won't hold back."

"You're going to kill her!" Trunks shouted. "She may be strong, but she can't handle the level you're taking it to. What do you expect her to do?"

Vegeta's head snapped towards his son. "Don't you want to know what she is, boy? What she's made of?"

"I just want her to be alive and unhurt!" Trunks shouted.

"Too late for that," Marron mumbled. "If I was in as much pain as she is, I would be alternating between screaming, passing out, and begging for morphine. She needs to go to the infirmary."

"She's a warrior," Uub said softly, slipping his hand around Marron's waist. Oren was sleeping blissfully nestled against his chest, supported by his other arm. "I am actually with Vegeta on this—I kind of want to know how strong she is."

"You men are just horrible," Chi-Chi said sadly. "That poor girl! She is so tired that she can barely stand on her feet. Let her rest for Kami's sake!"

Para had passed the place where she could fully process or believe any words of kindness or love. She felt like the whole world—the whole universe was against her, and beating her black and blue. She was kind of right. She only knew one thing; she wouldn't allow herself to be destroyed without a hell of a fight. She wouldn't be a scared and broken child anymore. She was, as Uub had pointed out, a warrior.

She was not locked inside a force field any longer. She could move. She could fight.

And she had just gotten her second wind.

"So you want to know, Vegeta?" Para asked gruffly. "Let me show you what I'm made of."

_I'm made of you. I'm made of the very best and worst of you. _Para turned to the side and spat out a mouthful of blood. "Let's do this. I don't care anymore."

"No! Medea, listen! Don't let him rile you up," Trunks said desperately. "You can barely move your arms! You're half-dead!"

"A little op… opt… optimism please," she said hoarsely, rubbing her sore throat. Her voice had begun to falter in the middle of her speech. "If I'm half-dead that means I'm still half-alive. That's the part that I'm focusing on."

"Please stop this, Vegeta," said Goten firmly, "She's just an innocent girl. She needs to rest."

"Do you doubt my warrior's intuition?" Vegeta asked, growling. "This is serious. She is from the future, and she won't reveal her identity, but I intend to find out how strong she is!"

"And you will," Para said, with a bloody smile. "How delightful. I've always wanted the chance again to match my unrestrained power against the mighty, full-blooded, King of Saiyans."

_If he knew who I was he'd take it easy on me. This is actually a pretty great opportunity to really fight him_. _To fight him and take him down. Not to get myself beaten like I did on Rudeeze. Not to get myself almost-raped like I did on Metamora. To achieve victory over my own dad, on my own planet._

"So are you going to stop talking and staring and start fighting?" Vegeta prompted with an animalistic snarl. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides.

"Yes. It is an honor, Vegeta."

"Hmph," said Vegeta as he dusted off his red fur. The girl was far too respectful and polite—he was trying to be angry with her, but she seemed like a noble fighter. He had contemplated accidentally killing her, but he couldn't bring himself to do so if she behaved so honorably. _Like goddamned Kakkarot._

Para's eyes narrowed as she focused on Vegeta's wavelengths of thought. She heard him compare her to her grandfather, and her smile grew. She knew that she would hear every single thought of his, and anticipate his every attack. The gifts passed down from his own bloodline would help her to defeat him.

"Power up to your maximum," demanded Vegeta, "Do it now."

"My maximum?" she asked huskily as a thrill when through her. She could not resist the opportunity. The future was her alibi. She had the fusion-holding jewellery on. She was invincible. She reached up and ran her hands through her hair, dislodging any stray pins that remained from her former up-do. A few more strands of hair tumbled down her back and cascaded to her knees.

"Stop stalling. I'll give you ten minutes to power up," said Vegeta, crossing his arms impatiently. "I won't wait any longer."

"How generous," responded Para, "But I only need three seconds."

She held up her hand and walked forward to him slowly, counting on her fingers.

"One..."

She raised her index finger and transformed to Super Saiyan as she took a step forward, causing gasps from around the room.

"Two..."

She took another step forward, raising a second finger, and transforming to Super Saiyan 2 instantly. Exclamations of disbelief were heard. She thought she might die from rush it gave her, the natural high.

"Three!"

She held up a third finger before clenching her fist and exhaling evenly as her hair grew out and pooled around itself on the ground. Parts of her dress ripped open as her muscles bulged, but it held together just enough to stay on. Her power level exploded as she laughed ecstatically.

She had finally gotten to show her family her Super Saiyan 3 achievement. And their expressions were priceless. Three seconds before the transformation occurred they had thought she was a normal human. It was rich! In Uub's arms, the little baby Oren woke up from where he had been peacefully sleeping through the fight. Oren began to scream and bawl. Uub rocked his son gently, knowing that Oren had sensed the unfamiliar girl's power.

"Shit," said Gohan.

Para blinked in surprise to hear her father swear, and wagged one of her fingers, "Tsk, tsk. Gohan I thought you never swore."

"Medea, you're a saiyan!" exclaimed Goten, "But I thought you said your family was from _England_!"

"Good Dende," Trunks was saying softly, "good Dende."

"Her new pair of shoes just disintegrated," Chi-Chi pointed out.

"Marron," remarked Uub with a chuckle, "If she's one of YOUR kids from the future then you've been cheating on me. Because she just went Super Saiyan."

"Oh, shut up," mumbled Marron. _Great job, girls. Way to go and ruin the alibi I carefully constructed for you!_

"Either that or Eighteen cheated on me," suggested Krillen thoughtfully, "And maybe Marron has been a saiyan all along! How could we really know if she doesn't train?"

"Now, there's an idea," said Android 18. "My girl a closet Super Saiyan. Her hair could turn from blonde to, er… blonder."

"I shouldn't have gotten myself involved in this," Marron muttered.

Vegeta, however, had been rendered speechless. He was flabbergasted. He had expected power, but this girl... this young girl had achieved the transformation it had taken him a lifetime to achieve, and she had transformed in _seconds_! Without seeming to be affected by the energy output! He had never seen a female turn Super Saiyan 3 before, and he was thunderstruck.

"Impossible," he said simply.

"And yet here I am," she answered, walking up to him and standing before him brazenly. The power rushed through her veins, and she wanted to scream. She needed to unleash it. "Fight me, Vegeta! Isn't that what you wanted?"

Vegeta studied the dark blazes in her eyes. He had not expected her to be a saiyan, much less such an advanced saiyan. There was no special way that he could have gathered this— no special scent or any other distinctive attribute to distinguish human from saiyan. When he had first laid eyes on Mirai Trunks, he had had no clue in hell what the boy was, and had thought him to be an enemy more formidable than Frieza. He had not been able to recognize his own son, his own flesh and blood—back then, the concept that he would ever have a child was even more foreign than the boy looked. He had had no clue how it was that the stranger could go Super Saiyan. He didn't know why anything should surprise him any longer.

Having spent several minutes sensing the depths of her energy, he lowered his head. He ran a hand through his spiky black hair. "Girl, from how far in the future are you?"

"I can't tell."

"You are saiyan. Are you my descendant or Kakkarot's?"

"I can't tell you that!" she said with a frown. "I _could be_ neither of yours. Random surviving saiyans have been known to occasionally pop up everywhere."

"No, you're too powerful to be anything but one of_ our_ descendants," Vegeta said, shaking his head. "Your level three power level is immense! You're nearly as powerful as I am at Super Saiyan 4 at level three! And level three is a very difficult stage to maintain, I hardly ever fight in it."

"Why are we talking so much?" Para asked, almost sneering. "I powered up because you requested it. You wanted a fight. I have a whole lot of energy I would like to use for the divine purpose of kicking your ass. Work with me here, Prince."

"If you're _this_ powerful you must be the daughter of Trunks and Pan," asserted Vegeta.

"Ah…" Para felt her face instantly flush with heat at the thought of having a child with Trunks. She twitched and stuttered, "Uh... I..."

Everyone in the room misunderstood her stutter, and took it for fact.

"Shit," said Gohan again.

"Dende," said Videl quietly.

"YES!" shouted Bulma, dancing around cheerfully. "Who wants some champagne?"

"NO," Trunks shouted, "NO WAY! That's disgusting, I've been _dating_ her! I couldn't possibly be her father! Tell them, Medea! Besides, I plan to give my kids saiyan names, not Greek names!"

Para was still flushed at the accusation, "Nice try, Vegeta. I'm not revealing any more information about myself."

She flicked her hair behind her impatiently, hitting the ground like a massive stone whip, and causing a dent in the ballroom floor, "Are we going to fight or not?"

Her anger was mounting. Her energy was causing her whole body to shake. _I need this fight,_ Para thought. _I need something I can control._

"No," said Vegeta then, powering down to his regular state abruptly, "I have seen what I needed to see."

"WHAT? Do _not _do this to me!" Para shouted desperately. Energy cackled around her in tiny lightning bolts. "You asked me to power up to fight with you! I can't stop now. I have to fight. I need to fight. Please!"

Vegeta stared at her then, for the first time actually seeing the condition that she was in. He saw the bruises on her skin—although her skin was now stretched over her engorged Super Saiyan 3 muscles. He saw the horrible handprint-shaped bruise on her neck. He realized that none of his attacks had done much damage to her, other than giving her a bloody nose. Most of her injuries had occurred before this battle. In the hours that she had been gone from the planet, she had been through some kind of horrible mutilation. The others had tried to tell him this, but he had been so absorbed in his own curiosity that he had been unable to listen. The girl had encountered the most powerful man in the whole universe, someone far stronger than Vegeta, and he had evidently been extremely abusive to her. She had just returned from hell. He remembered what that was like.

And now she wanted to take it out on him. If she fought with him now, she would not be fighting for sport—it would be for vengeance on the one who had wronged her. She would be imagining someone other than Vegeta at the end of her attacks. It would be the energy of pure emotion driving her, not her physical skill. She would be unable to fully exercise her physical skill. Although she was being respectful, he could see the fire of hurt in her eyes. Controlled hurt and channelled rage.

"No." He shook his head. "I cannot engage in battle with you while you are in this condition."

"Why the hell not, Vegeta? Do not deny me this! You started it! What kind of unfair and unusual torture are you trying to put me through?"

"If we were to fight now, you would win this battle. Consider my withdrawal as surrender."

"Surrender?" she whispered.

"Something very malignant has just happened to you, and you are in a heightened state of… emotional disturbance," Vegeta explained. He wanted to say psychosis, or lunacy, but he did not think he should venture that far. "You are in the prime condition for battle. You would destroy me, unless you made any kind of foolish mistake. I might have to wait hours, or even days for that to happen. I don't think it would."

"Please," she said brokenly. "No… I'm fine—very calm, really." She urged herself to just fly at him and begin the fight, but she felt somehow rooted to her position. The experience with Zvarin had sucked the aggression out of her. She had power within her, but she was too afraid to use it. She knew that she could use it in self-defence now that she had decided to do so, but she needed to be attacked more in order to bring out her ferocity.

"It is no longer important for us to fight," Vegeta admitted. "You're more powerful than I imagined. We would be deadlocked in combat for far too long, and that is not essential right now. You have given me the information that I needed about your capacities. I know how difficult it would be to hurt you. I have a vague idea of how strong the being who hurt you like this must have been. Now, it is important that you tell me everything you can about the man who fought you tonight. Tell me about him, and tell me about what he does in the future."

"I can't," Para said, struggling to hold on to her composure. "I can't think about that right now. I prepared myself for the fight you requested. I think I deserve for you to finish what you started. This isn't fair to me, Vegeta. Please…"

"No."

"We could make it interesting… I could only use my hair," Para suggested. She used her snakelike coil of hair to whip out at the floor just in front of Vegeta, causing a large crack to form in the ground between his legs. She saw that Vegeta was surprised by her control of her spiky long golden hair, and she smiled. "I have many more cool tricks to show you. Aren't you tempted to continue the fight?"

"No. Power down, girl," he commanded.

Para suddenly realized that Vegeta was ordering her around in much the same manner that Zvarin had. The kind undertone of his voice completely slipped past her. She had obeyed his instruction to power up because he had goaded her into it with a beating and taunting. Now she had been issued another order. She was his puppet.

It didn't matter how powerful she was. She was helpless. Vegeta had pretty much stated that she was almost just as strong as he was, and yet she did not feel satisfied to have his respect or recognition—the things she had sought from this man for both of her entire lives. What did it matter how powerful she was? She was still his subject to order around, just as Zvarin had done. Forcefield or no forcefield, she did not belong to herself. She was a minion. A pathetic little girl; the pawn of these men of royalty. She had achieved Super Saiyan 3, pushed herself to the limit to do it, and it meant nothing.

Para had not realized that she had powered down with these thoughts, and fallen to her knees. As the ancestral energy of Super Saiyan 3 slipped away, the otherworldly glow of her soul disappeared, and along with it, several significant morsels of her sanity.

"Yes, King Vegeta. I have dutifully obeyed you," she said scathingly from her position on the ground. Her body began to shake again. When the power had drained from her, it had taken everything in her along with it. Including her purpose. Including the glue which had been holding the fragile pieces of her heart together.

Para learned that even as a single, unified being, it was still possible to feel fragmented and torn apart. Even as a superpowered alliance, she could still feel defeated and helpless. She looked up at her father through tearful eyes. "What else would you like me to do? Would you like me to dance for you? Sing a song? I must warn you, I have trouble staying on key."

Vegeta sighed, seeing the state that she was in. He could see her losing her grip on reality because of whatever trauma she had experienced. He had known trauma, and he knew exactly what kind of dark place she was in. As he stared at her small hunched form, he felt pity rise in him. The girl had treated him with respect, and he had hurt her. No one showed him so much respect unless they were family. Or related to Goku, and by extension, a sort of family. He knew by instinct that whatever his relationship in the future was to this girl, they had some connection. She was something to him. He decided that she deserved something of an apology.

"Girl, forgive me for hounding you. I just needed to know," Vegeta said, almost gently. Gently for him.

"Wonderful. Now you know. Do I get a fucking cookie?" Para's voice box was so crushed from Zvarin's strangling that she was beginning to lose her voice altogether. Parts of her sentences were completely inaudible, and her curse word was even naturally censored by her damaged larynx.

"Little ears can hear you," Marron reminded her from across the room quietly. Seeing that the statement went directly over her head, Marron frowned. She turned to Trunks with an angry glare. "Are you going to get over there and console your girlfriend?"

"My girlfr…" Trunks sucked in a breath, his chest expanding. The whole situation had just been one shock after another. He couldn't believe that the woman he had been intimate with—the kind sweet woman he had grown to care for—was a Super Saiyan with more power than he himself had. He had had sex with a woman and he hadn't even known that she was a saiyan. Not just any saiyan, but one that could achieve level _three_.

"Trunks," Bulma said softly, snapping him out of his daze. He nodded, and following Marron and his mother's urging, moved over to the shaking girl with the gruesome bruises.

Trunks crouched down beside her, and placed his hand on her back gently. He tried to think of something to say. "Gee, Medea… I think I probably should have taken out insurance on that dress or something. I guess there are just some days that you oughtta wear armor instead of a crystal-encrusted ball gown, but who can tell these things in advance, right?"

Para turned to stare blankly at Trunks, hardly registering who he was. She blinked at him for several moments before looking down at herself.

"Oh, no," she whispered. "No, no no. The crystals are all gone. My beautiful dress is ruined."

"It's not a big deal. Don't worry... we'll just get you a new one," Trunks assured her.

Para had begun to claw at her dress desperately, her nails raking at the shards of fabric stretched across her stomach. She began to mumble in a low voice that no one could hear. Even Trunks could barely pick up pieces of her soft speech, with her failing voice box.

"No... there are holes everywhere. Bullet holes... fire holes. It's all destroyed. The dress... everything in it. All that I can do... isn't anything. Trunks... why did you... why did you ever... I need to sleep. Trunks... just... bury me... in this dress. Bury me... so I can sleep."

"Medea?" he asked, in confusion and concern.

Para placed her head in her hands.

She remembered that the gown was supposed to have been her wedding dress to Goten. It was another stab in the heart of the feeble remains of their relationship. She had lost Goten forever. She had lost Trunks forever. She felt even further away from her family now that she was in the same room as them. The universe had wedged itself directly between her and her loved ones. That same universe was expanding at a rate of millions of miles per second, and she could feel it. She could feel the dark expanses building.

She felt so far away from herself. The truth was that the vast vacuum had cleaved her in half somehow. Even though she was made up of two merged girls who cared for each other deeply, she felt like she couldn't grasp the ghosts of who she used to be. She was disappearing.

Trunks stared at her, knowing that she was in pain. He didn't quite understand why, or what had happened to her, but he could see that her body was extremely injured. He wanted to comfort her, but he felt hesitant doing so in front of all of his family and friends. He felt hesitant doing so at all, not knowing who she was, or why she had lied to him. He decided to take a chance on his heart and his intuition.

Slipping his arms around her, he pulled her head against his chest and held her. He rested his chin on her head and just held her close for a moment.

Para didn't quite notice at first, but eventually his scent worked its way into her senses. She was inhaling the scent of the man she loved, and she could feel his arms around her, infusing her with his strength. She heard the beat of his heart through his chest. _A normal saiyan heartbeat, _she thought to herself, filling with elation. _I'm home. I'm really at home. I'm in his arms. This is my favourite place in the universe. _She turned into his chest and buried her face into his warmth. _This is where I belong… the safest place…_

Her eyes snapped open, and she pulled away from Trunks abruptly. _No, not safe at all. He cheated on me. I loved him and he cheated on me. I'm not safe anywhere. Men are there for hurting and pain. Fathers, brothers, lovers, kings—they're all there just to hurt me. It's OK. I can deal with it. I can just run away from here. I can go to sleep._

Just then a thought belonging to Trunks seeped into her mind through her telepathy: _Who is she? She looks at me with such passion… but how can I trust her or love her if I don't know who she is?_

_Who am I? _she thought to herself. _Good question. I hardly know yet. I guess we'll find out._

"Thanks," she said, suddenly using a professional tone as she pulled herself off the ground. "I was just a bit sore, that's all. Your dad beat me up pretty good."

Trunks looked at her doubtfully as she tried to sound chipper and cool after obviously having gone through a very emotional experience.

Vegeta grunted. "Sure, girl. Who do you think you are fooling?"

"You may have broken a few of my ribs," Para said with forced cheerfulness, "along with my nose. Like seriously, ouch."

"I can only hope that you are my descendant," Vegeta grumbled, "And I hope that the kids will stop their petty squabbles and get around to creating you. I'm not getting any younger."

Vegeta moved closer to Para, staring into her eyes curiously, "Tell me, are you Bra's child? Come to think of it, you do remind me of my daughter. Are you my daughter's daughter?"

Para frowned and abruptly turned around. She began walking away to avoid scrutiny, "Stop asking questions, Veg..."

"YOU!" Vegeta had turned to Goten and pointed at him angrily, "RETARD! If this is my Super Saiyan 3 grandkid, you had better go and find Bra IMMEDIATELY and apologize for whatever dickhead thing you did to her. I command you to beg on your knees for her forgiveness, and then have LOTS of unprotected sex with her so you can make me some DAMNED SUPER SAIYAN 3 GRANDCHILDREN."

A funny noise escaped Para's throat before she stumbled over her own feet and fell over.

Goten began to twitch violently, "Medea... you're not my daughter are you? I mean... that would be great but it's just..."

"NO!" Para pulled herself off the ground angrily, "Look, I have some important information about a potential enemy, but if you guys are all going to just stand there and gossip about who my potential parents are then I'M LEAVING and the EARTH CAN ROT for all I care."

She took to the air and tried to blast through the door indignantly, but Gohan materialized in front of her.

He spoke softly, "Will you at least tell me what you know, privately? When Trunks came back to us from the future he only spoke to one person: that was my father. He couldn't tell any of us that he was the son of Bulma and Vegeta, because who would have believed him? Only my dad and Piccolo knew, and they told us about the Android attack and that we would need to train hard for several years. Do you think today I can be the one that you trust?"

Gohan's eyes were hot chocolate on a cold winter's day.

With little marshmallows floating in them, and a sprinkle of chocolate flakes. Para remembered her father making hot chocolate for her when she was younger. It was a strange memory to have at a moment like this, but it softened her hard expression.

"Yes, Gohan," Para said, softly. "I would like to tell you about Zvarin."

"Zvarin, is that his name?" Gohan asked.

"Yes," Para answered, nodding. "Can we go somewhere private to discuss this? This room is giving me a headache."

"Hey, sister. You aren't going _anywhere_ private with my husband!" screamed Videl. The human woman powered up, ready for a fight regardless of the fact that she'd just seen Para reach Super Saiyan 3. "I don't care if at some point in the future Gohan and I split up, or I die and you have a thing with my husband… right now he's MINE, got it?"

"No!" said Para in shock, moving away from Gohan and lifting her hands up in innocence. "That will NEVER happen, Videl! You two are the happiest couple I know, even in the future! Forever!"

"Oh," said Videl, slightly reassured. She placed her hands on her lips and cocked her head to the side. "Well, that's nice. So why are you so eager to kidnap my husband away into a dark candlelit room with soft music playing in it and massage oils and chocolate sauce and whipped cream and edible underwear?"

"VIDEL!" Gohan shouted, becoming very red in the face. "Gosh darn it, Videl! Why do you have to mention the edible underwear?"

Various giggles erupted throughout the room, although Nyssa and Olive looked at each other in confusion.

"Erghhhhh," Para groaned, covering her ears in horror at the secrets from her parents' bedroom. "I think this really has been the worst day of my life."

"So you agree to speak to _him_ about the dangers we are going to face and not me?" Vegeta asked, obviously insulted.

"In the future, Gohan is my teacher," Para lied. "He taught me most of what I know about fighting."

"Really, that bookworm?" scoffed Vegeta. "He's so lazy that I train his daughter more than he does. Who are you that Gohan trains you? You must be his granddaughter. Or maybe he has another child? Can Videl still get pregnant?"

It was Videl's turn to have her face turn beet red, "Shut the fuck up, Vegeta! That's none of your business."

"Little ears," Marron reminded her with a sigh.

"But it doesn't make sense that a younger sister of Pan's would be stronger than her," Vegeta continued, "In saiyan families the first child is always the strongest. Well, except for Raditz..."

"Forget this," said Para in exasperation, turning to leave again. Gohan stopped her once more.

"I don't care who you," he said gently. "Whether we're related or not, I want to know what's bothering you, and how I can help you."

Her face softened at Gohan's gentleness. She turned back to see everyone advancing on her, and standing by, patiently waiting for her to speak. She remembered that she actually loved these people, and cared about more than just concealing her identity.

"There's a reason that Gohan trained me," she began to fabricate. "You see, Vegeta dies very early in the upcoming battle. Isn't that classic? He just rushes in and gets himself killed. You have no idea what it did to his family. Bra was never the same again. So don't do that, Vegeta! I'm begging you. Don't rush into battle recklessly."

Vegeta seemed to take this seriously into consideration. He swallowed and nodded. Bulma moved to his side and slipped her hands around his arm, laying her head on his shoulder.

"This seems very familiar," Bulma said softly. "I guess it's good to know. We can change the future now, like we did the last time we heard those words."

Para bit her lip, feeling horrible about the lies. But if she could somehow help her family stay alive, then the lies were worth it.

"King Zvarin has extraordinary mental powers. They're his mainstay, but he has great physical strength too," she explained, bringing a hand up to rub her neck subconsciously.

"What does he want?" Krillen asked. "What's his shtick? Global domination, destruction, or a vendetta against saiyans?"

"He, uh…" Para moved a hand to her stomach, feeling bile rise in her throat again. _He wants me. He wants me to be his bride._ "All of the above. He called himself a conqueror. King of the Seven Galaxies, and he's going to be coming here in two or three years to fight and conquer us."

"Over my dead body!" Vegeta said vehemently. Everyone immediately turned to look at him reproachfully.

"See, Vegeta? That's the kind of talk that gets you…"

"It was figurative!" he stammered. "It was goddamned figurative."

"Uh huh," said Para. She suddenly found she was enjoying creating this future of warnings. She turned to Uub. "You need to train your mystical powers, Uub. You fused with Majin Buu, so you should have some of his magic—maybe you could learn to bring that out a little more."

"What, turn people into candy?" Uub asked in confusion.

"It's just a suggestion. You cannot rely on your physical strength alone in this upcoming battle," Para said cryptically.

Marron rolled her eyes. She was the only one that knew that Para was talking out of her ass. Well—mostly. She knew that Para had seen Zvarin up close and personal, and that was certainly something.

"What does this bad guy look like?" Goten asked.

"He's like… seven feet tall," Para said, holding her hands straight up to indicate Zvarin's size. "I might be exaggerating, because his presence makes him seem taller. He has this suave, sophisticated manner about him… but he is just…"

She shuddered, "He is just awful! Not awful looking—he's rather handsome. Shiny forest green hair…"

"Oooh, like Zarbon!" Bulma exclaimed. "Now wasn't Zarbon a cutie? I wouldn't mind another hottie villain for a change."

Vegeta cleared his throat and Bulma quickly corrected herself, "Uhm, of course Zarbon was not nearly as hot as Vegeta-possessed-by-Baby, wow! Now that was a handsome villain."

"This is serious," Para said softly, "Zvarin is extremely intelligent. He already knows all about us. Hhh… hhe…ee…"

"Are you alright?" Goten asked her with concern.

She tried to talk, but her voice would no longer work. She brought a hand up to her throat and rubbed it angrily. "Zva…rr…"

_Zvarin wasn't always this powerful, _she communicated telepathically into the minds of everyone around her all at once, bypassing the fact that she had lost her voice. _He only recently began to use… uh, mystical forces… to augment his strength._

"What kind of mystical forces?" Trunks asked.

Para considered telling them about fusion, but she found she could not say (or think) the word to them. She did not want them to be even considering the idea of fusion. _I'm not sure. Some religious ceremonial thing or something of the sort. He mentioned monks._

"You need to rest, maybe spend some time in the rejuvenation chamber," Bulma suggested. "Once you get your voice back you can tell us everything. (Including what kind of spaceship you used to travel here.) Three years is plenty of time to prepare for this guy! Together we'll find a way to defeat your evil king—even if I have to build a machine that takes everyone to Super Saiyan 5 in order to do it! Let's take you to the infirmary, dear."

_Thank you, Bulma, but don't worry about the rejuvenation tank. I have a better idea, _Para communicated to her mother, and into everyone else's minds as well. _There's someone I need to see and talk to. I am going to go and try to find him. I think you should all just go home and get some rest. Marron, your girls look exhausted._

"Am not!" Nyssa argued while yawning loudly. "I'm wide awake!"

Para smiled. _Sorry I ruined the party. If anyone needs me, just call or buzz me telepathically or come by my place. Trunks, Goten, and Marron know where it is. _Para turned to leave.

"Medea, dear, don't forget your earrings!" Chi-Chi exclaimed. "You said they were rentals, you'll have to return them."

Para turned to Chi-Chi in surprise. She moved her hands up to her ears self-consciously. How would she explain the new jewellery?

_Thank you, Chi-Chi. I had almost forgotten_, she admitted, as she retrieved them. A thought suddenly struck her. Para removed the new katchin earrings she wore and stared at them in her palm.

_I picked up some new ones while I was on Zvarin's planet_, she explained, holding them out. _Would you like to have them, Chi-Chi?_

_Great. She's a thief too!_ Krillen thought to himself. _I knew she was bad news! Anyone with that much hair is bad news!_

Chi-Chi, however was peering very closely at the earrings. "They're beautiful, Medea. What are they made of?"

_A metal that isn't found anywhere on Earth_, Para answered.

Gohan was significantly intrigued, and he adjusted his glasses. "No… that can't be…"

_Yes, Gohan_, Para answered. _It's katchin. The same metal that you broke the Z-sword on._

"But it can't be cut!" Gohan exclaimed.

_Apparently it can be_, Para answered, _but I don't know how_. _Maybe you can figure it out. I'll see you all later._

"Are you sure you don't want to spend some time in the infirmary?" Trunks asked. "It won't take long to heal your injuries."

_No, I'll be fine. We'll catch up later, Trunks… if you still feel like seeing me._

"I do. I might need some time to think, but I do," Trunks said to her. "Take care of yourself."

She smiled and turned to fly out the window. As she left, Goten shouted after her, "Hey Medea! About those free weekly training sessions I've been giving you... well, I QUIT!"

* * *

_Is that all you can remember, child?_

She nodded, her eyes closed blissfully. The warmth and love in the hands which tenderly rested upon her shoulders so sharply contrasted with the Zvarin's touch that she wanted to cry, kneel, and pray in gratitude, while begging for forgiveness.

But her God wasn't that type of God.

_Is it my fault, Dende? _she asked him with her mind.

_No, child, it is not, _he answered firmly.

_Is it some kind of punishment for my wanting revenge? _she asked, with worry. _Is this karma kicking my ass?_

_That is not exactly the way the world works, Para, _he answered.

She felt deeply pleased to be called by her true name. To be known for who she truly was. The young saiyan woman sat cross legged opposite her deep green-skinned Namekian guardian. They were in the garden of the Lookout.

_Revenge is a natural yearning, as natural as love itself, _he explained. _You were only being yourself, and living your life in the way you chose. It is a valid pursuit. A valid purpose._

Para sighed. _I have begun to wonder about my purpose. All I seem to be made for is fighting and causing harm. I only feel alive when I'm about to enter into combat of some sort. I really wanted to hurt Zvarin and Vegeta. It made me feel so _empty_ when Vegeta decided not to fight. But most of all... I still really want to hurt Trunks and Goten. When Trunks held me today, I felt such a rush of love and safety, but then when I quickly remembered that it was all just an illusion, all of my anger returned in full force... even more than before. I wish I could let go and move on, but I can't. I need to be... avenged. What does that make of me?_

_I know you are concerned with being a good person. _Dende moved one of his healing hands to rest on her cheek briefly. _Do not be so ashamed of yourself and of your desires. Trust that every feeling you have is truth, and the way you react to the world around you is natural. We can all be no more than natural. I know you want to cause harm to those you love; do not worry. Inflicting negative emotion is quite different from inflicting negative bodily harm, or wanting to take a person's life._

_I did take a person's life, Dende. _Para looked down at the floor in embarrassment. _I killed that woman that I saw Trunks with, remember?_

_There is darkness in all of us. You were so angry that you blacked out and let the rage take over. You stepped outside yourself for a moment. However, you regained control and reason. You should forgive yourself._

_I don't know if I can. What happened today—there were moments when I just didn't have the will to fight back, and I just felt like I deserved the beating I was getting as punishment for my lies and transgressions._

_If you feel so much guilt about your actions, why don't you stop them, Para?_

_I can't stop now. It's too late to not follow through with this. I only just found what I've been looking for all along: a way to stay fused!_

_About this fusion-keeping jewellery of yours… well, I'm sure you remember my earlier warning. _Dende looked at her with concern. _Are you sure you want to be Para, and not Pan and Bra? If you wear the jewellery too long, you may not be able to go back…_

_It's really difficult to be Pan and Bra. I don't feel as strong when I'm separate. Life is not as easy._

_I just want you to be happy, child._

_Today it was even hard to be Para. I cried like a baby in front of everyone. _She sighed at the memory. _I don't want to stay fused FOREVER… just for a little while longer. I can't let go of it yet._

As she spoke, she found herself clenching her hands into fists and rubbing her thumbs over the katchin rings on her index fingers. She had never worn rings on her index fingers, and it was a strange sensation.

_Your throat and jaw should be healed, now, Para. You should be able to speak again, _Dende told her, removing his glowing hands from her throat.

"Thank you," she said, testing her voice, and smiling. "I rather liked talking in telepathy—it was nice and quiet. Gosh, Dende. I really wish I could have accidentally teleported to a safe planet. Namek would have been nice. I could have hung out with your friends and family and get caught up on the news… but no."

"It was a great boon for the Earth that you made the mistake that you did, Para. It almost seems like it might have been a sort of destiny. A gift of divine origin. This could be our advantage, the very thing to tip the scales in our favor and help us to save the world. This knowledge you have presented me with will prove invaluable in the dark days to come."

"Yes, but I'll be wondering all the while if I invited the dark days over for the all-you-can-eat-holiday-dinner-buffet-of-misery at my place."

"Don't be silly," Dende said with a grin. "The greatest evils always find the Earth somehow. It's always an Earthling who must extinguish them. And even if you kill or almost kill someone out in space, chances are he'll be reconstructed as a robot with cybernetic enhancements, or brought back to life through the raising of hell, and find his way to party on Earth somehow. It's not your fault. We're just important like that."

"Or cursed like that!" Para said with a small laugh. "This time, maybe cursed by me."

Dende took Para's broken hand in his, and began to heal the bones there. "It is not wrong to be a less than perfect person. My child, I am not a perfect guardian. Try as I may, I cannot love you as much as I love all the other Earthlings under my care."

Para looked up in surprise.

Dende smiled, "I love you much, much more. Your father was my childhood friend, and he helped to save my people. Your other father killed many of my people, but I watched him slowly change over the years. I love him more than I probably should as well. You can deny who you are as much as Vegeta can deny who he is. And you know there is a great deal of Vegeta in you. And a great deal of Gohan. You are a magnificent little culmination of the best of life forms."

"Gee, thanks!" she said, unable to keep from smiling. "I just… I really hate the thought that I might be disappointing you, Dende."

"Disappointing me? You have been entertaining me, child. I've even tried to help a little," he said, giving her a sly wink.

"Help? How?"

"In my own little way, I have tried to keep your loved ones from learning the truth of who you are."

"_Really_?" she gasped.

"I shouldn't meddle, but it's really far too delightful not to!"

Para could not restrain herself from a full bodied laugh. She clutched at her broken ribs as she shook from humor at Dende's confession.

Dende moved his hands to her ribcage to heal the wounds. "I told you, Trunks and Goten were the worst rascals possible when they were boys. They destroyed the Lookout I can't tell you how many times—and drove poor Mr. Popo up the wall. It's rather nice to see them getting the short end of the stick for a change, and having to deal with cleaning up their own messes."

"Dende…" Para said softly. "I forgot to mention that Zvarin has a mental power that allows him to look in on any one of us for up to five minutes. Do you think that there's any… any way we can erect a psychic firewall of sorts to block him from doing this? If he can see everything that happens on Earth for the next three years then we have no chance of defeating him."

"That's a very good point and interesting idea, Para. I will see what I can do—it might be easier to block specific people from Zvarin's access than to block the whole planet. That way if you went to train on other planets, he still couldn't see you…"

"If you need my help… if I can help at all, I would be happy to try. I don't have too much in the way of mystic power, but I suppose I have some. The mind reading and the dreams and such…"

"You have much more potential than you even realize," he told her. "I will call on you if I need your assistance. You are fully healed Para. "

"Thank you, Dende."

"No, thank you—for giving me a good laugh earlier when you declared you were from the future." He chuckled in remembrance.

"They probably would have figured it out if it wasn't for you leading them away from the truth," she said thankfully.

"No, by no means! You're quite the skilful liar," he said.

"A noble trait I'm sure," she said. "I should probably get back home… in addition to jonesing for my bed, I'm dying to change out of this tattered dress and into something clean and… not tattered."

"Oh, I can help with that too," Dende offered. He reached out and a glow surrounded her for a moment before her dress was returned to its original glory.

She squealed, and launched herself forward to throw her arms around the guardian. "Oh my god! You fixed my dress!"

"Yep," he said cheerfully hugging her back, "I'm your god and I fixed your dress!"

She laughed, running her fingers over the Swarovski crystals. "You're a darling! I still think I should change out of this, though. So far it seriously seems like it only has given me the worst of luck."

"You humans and your little superstitions about luck," Dende said, curiously. "So interesting. I'm pushing five decades here and I still don't understand it."

Para and Dende said their goodbyes and hugged again before Para flew off the Lookout. She had been up all night, and the sun was now rising on the horizon. She flew towards it, making joyful loops in the air.

She had been healed. Her broken bones had all been healed, but more importantly, she also felt that her soul had been healed from the trauma of feeling violated by Zvarin.

She had known that Dende would be able to give that to her.

And best of all, Dende had healed her dress.

She flew through the open sky, tilting her face to allow the first rays of sunlight to wash over it. The crisp breeze from her flight rustled her long indigo locks. She felt like laughing and shouting, so she did. She had looked the devil in the face, spat on him, and lived to talk about it.

And she was one person. A new, whole person.

"I'm _alive_!" she shouted into the empty sky jubilantly. The regular sunrise of a common earth morning had never seemed so glorious to her. She felt euphoria wash over her with unrestrained laughter. She threw her head back and shouted, "_I am born_!"

* * *

I had a bit more I wanted to squeeze into this chapter, but I just had to end it there. It was such a positive note (even if there might have been a hint of insanity in it) that I couldn't add more to bring you guys back down. I mean, how often do I end on a positive note? (Like, never.)

Thanks to Maggie for helping me look over this chapter. =)

* * *

Mucho thankies to the following folks:

**Zi-Dawg:** Your review was the first one I received on the last chapter, and it really reassured me that I hadn't screwed up too much. I was really on the fence on whether I should include the almost rape, but your review made me feel like I made a good decision. Lol, I am so glad you think the idea of using katchin makes sense. Also, I love your comments on Zvarin probably being mega fucked-up considering Para's personality. Thanks a bunch, and I hope you continue to enjoy it!

**Marie Fortune:** I'm so glad that you like the OC! I know, I normally hate them too. It's really tough to get them just right.

**Anmylica:** I'm really sorry that it took so long! I know you wanted this sooner, but this was the best I could manage. Thanks for all your support as always, and for recommending me to a friend. I can't wait to hear what you think of this chappy! Oh—there was a part that I've been telling you about forever which was supposed to be in this chapter which I unfortunately had to push to the next chapter. Ugh, it's taking forever to get to all the things I have planned. This story is going to be so super epic by the time I'm done with it!

**LNCrow:** Thanks for your review! Regarding her ripping of the jewellery and killing him, hehe, I couldn't! Zvarin can't be disposed of so easily. For one thing, it took me way too long to think of his name to kill him off so quickly. Lol. =)

**kitty:** Good point, I guess it is technically rape by most standards. I was really worried that the experience wasn't bad enough to warrant her over-emotional and somewhat crazy state in this chapter… but at least I can fall back on fusion rings to explain that if anything!

**ArialChaos: **You're right of course, he's a Zarbon prototype. I just wanted a DBZ-looking character and figured I could make his personality original from there. Your clone idea is really original and I actually hadn't thought of that at all. The idea of making Zvarin more powerful is pretty scary. I honestly don't exactly know how I'm going to have them defeat him. I mean, if they're going to defeat him! There's still the option of Zvarin winning and killing everyone, right? *cough* Sure, like anyone believes I'll do that!

You're right about the galaxy thing— that there are supposed to only be four. I've changed the normal "galaxy" to "quadrant" and basically made it so Zvarin is talking about sections of his quadrant when he talks about galaxies. It just makes their universe seem bigger. =)

Thanks for wishing me well with my goals! I love your reviews, they're so well-thought out and encouraging.

**SSJ-Pan-chan:** Thanks for your review! Hope you liked this chapter as well. =)

**KayuraK:** Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Your review literally makes me jump up and down with glee, and do a little victory dance. Every time I read it! "Zvarin is a very malevolent villain and well written with a great balance of intelligence, wit, arrogance, with a very healthy dose of tyrannical God complex. In short a better and more believable villain than most you'll find in canon." This is extremely high praise, and I can't thank you enough for the motivation it gives me, and the confidence. I especially take it to heart because I feel like Zvarin is actually my baby—anyone can write an already created character well, but creating one from scratch is a bit tougher. I'm so glad I didn't do a terrible job of it!

**famoso:** Your words are so very kind and motivating. I can't tell you how much they mean to me! You said, "I really don't see why you don't have any books published." Reading that made me so happy. The reason I don't have any books published is because I've been insecure, scared, and lazy. But just reading all these positive, encouraging reviews is changing that and making me feel more confident. So thank you soooo much for leaving such thoughtful feedback! I did spend a lot of time working on my original fiction in the past month since I published the last chapter, and I hope that I will have a book published very soon. =) I only hope people like my original fiction as much as my fanfiction.

**faggismcgorpis:** Thank you, thank you! Hope you liked it.

**hot4dbz:** Looolll, your review was hilarious! "Uub scared that an enemy is here and she thinks he wants SEX?" Lolololol. I think you were the only one to mention that. When I imagine Uub and Marron and their married life, I remember this old English teacher of mine from high school—she was a little old white lady, and she used to talk ALL the time about her sex life with her husband (who was this huge black guy, lol.) They were SO much in love, and it was adorable—she made us read Othello and said it reminded her of her life and her parents. Yet when she started talking about her sex life it was a bit too much detail, lol. She even told us her favourite position was doggy-style. What kind of teacher says that? Oh, right. An English teacher.

You're right about Para losing her mind, lol. I actually wanted her to be more attracted to Zvarin, but I changed my mind as I wrote it. I didn't intend for him to almost-rape her, that just happened by accident. She was supposed to be kind-of seduced initially!

Omg, you made me laugh: "I bet if he was unfused and his normal self I could kick his ass myself." Yeah, I think you could definitely kick normal Zvarin's ass! Hehehe.

Your reviews are all so memorable and wonderful! Thank you! Hmmm, in answer to your question on when everyone will realize who Para is… you just have to wait and see! Now we know Dende is helping the girls to cover up! I promise that it will be REALLY AMAZING AND INTENSE when it happens! It better be, I've been planning this moment like all year, lol. Hope you enjoyed this chappy!

**KarinKurosakiHitsugaya913:** Thanks for your review! Hehe, it was really far away and she was in a rush to get away, so I thought it was best for her to transport to Gohan and Vegeta who are the strongest signals on earth. =D Hope you like it!

**kickstartmyhart: **Thank you for the lovely review! Your guesses about Chi-Chi are pretty good. You're figuring me out completely here! Yes, Pan and Bra definitely need to do the best they can with regard to training in three years. And I have to cover a huge amount of time in the story, lol. A Para/Gotenks fusion would be unstoppable, but you're right—I see both Para and Gotenks as being too arrogant to consider that option. Both of them are way more arrogant than Vegeta when he didn't want to fuse with Goku. Vegeta was like a shy teenage girl who was trying to pretend she didn't want to have sex with her boyfriend in the car at the make-out spot every time Goku mentioned fusion. "NO WAY KAKKAROT! I'M NOT THAT KIND OF GAL! Oh… really, it'll make me super strong and feel really nice? Well... ok… but please be gentle, it's my first time."

Sorry, that's probably the meanest thing I've ever said about Vegeta. I hope it makes someone laugh, at least. I like what you said about Pan and Bra being unafraid of death when it comes to protecting their family. I tried to be consistent with their characters that way when they lied about Vegeta dying early in the battle to scare him into being careful. =)

Anyway, I really hope you like this one! Thanks for the AWESOME review!

**Talk Smith Kid:** Hey you! I'm so glad you like the idea of the longer fuse! ^-^ Man, I had to do it—there are so many great opportunities for things that can happen now between Para and the boys. Sorry for the long delay. The reason I'm taking time to work on my original work in between chapters is because a full novel is only 50K words. This story is already the size of five whole novels, lol! While I think that we're slightly past the halfway point in this story, I know that it's probably going to be months and months before I finish it. Also, I'm not looking to rush it, because I REALLY enjoy writing it. So I figure I can write a couple novels in between chapters, and begin to make some money from writing while I continue to work on TMTH in my spare time. =) I'm sorry if it's selfish, I really wish I could just work on this until the end too, but I really need to be a big girl and manage my time so that some of it is profitable! I hope you understand. This story is still VERY near to my heart and I won't abandon it for years like I did to Loud Silence unless some unforeseen disaster happens. But I live in Canada, so we're pretty safe from terrorism and violence or any danger conceivable, so I should remain alive to work on it. =) Thanks for your review as always, hope you liked this one!

**PaintedinAllColors:** Awwwww! I LOVE your enthusiasm! Hehehe, you're so silly. You wrote: "Anywayz, ya know what would be really funny? If Zvarin landed on Earth, and Yamcha was there, and then Yamcha jumps him cuz Zvarin's the hottest thing he's ever seen, and cuz Yamcha ain't getting any. And I can imagine the look on Zvarin's face, and Vegeta would be all 'I so knew he was gay.' Just wanted to share that thought~!" LOOOOLLLL! I've gotta say, the Zvarin/Yamcha coupling hadn't exactly crossed my mind, but now that you've mentioned it, I might give it some consideration. Lol, I'm smiling so huge that my cheeks hurt. I think that Zvarin would probably dust Yamcha in some creative way before Yamcha could touch him… but the idea is still wicked, lol. Thanks for the awesome, HILARIOUS review!

**Aeolus07:** Thanks for your review! And thanks for mentioning the "ONE. OF. EACH." ice-cream situation! I was really fond of that moment because I swear, I spent forever trying to get something that sounded similar enough to make that work (the Peach/Each thingy) and I thought it was brilliant but no one commented on it! Lol. I am so glad you're enjoying the story, hope you keep reading! I'd love it if you kept letting me know what you think of it!

**Leecassi: **Hi you! Thanks for reviewing. I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! I really appreciate your feedback on the B/V because they aren't my strongest couple. I think I tend to go WAY overboard on Vegeta, but I really try to get it right. God! Vegeta and Bulma are like the most amazing couple ever. There are a million ways to imagine their private lives. THANK YOU for your comments on Marron! I really like her to be a "supporting actress" type figure to the girls instead of an extra enemy. Omg, I'm so glad you find Zvarin terrifying. I really worked hard on developing his character, so I'm really happy that it's turning out well.

I love your reviews, thank you so much for taking the time to write one! I hope that you are feeling better now from whatever ails you. =) Sickness sucks. Wishing you all the best!

mali86: Hehehe. You said, "ZVARIN IS A REALLY AWESOME CHARACTER BUT I REALLY HOPE HE GETS KNOCKED AROUND A BIT LOL" and I am here to assure you that he certainly will! =D

**Silver Shiko**: I loved your commentary on Zvarin! You said he was "drunk with power" and had "way too much testosterone in there to be stable." I really like it! Hehe, it's great to get feedback on the character I made up, I feel so proud. ^-^ Hmmm, I find it interesting that you think the girls are even! I don't think they are yet, because they haven't really caused the guys to feel the same way they did. Maybe you're right. Basically, Zvarin interrupted their whole scheme… I wonder if they will lose finesse or motivation for revenge now that they have other larger things to worry about? Why am I asking questions when I am supposed to know what's going to happen? Lol! Or do I? Hehehe. I change so many things as I go along, but I hope they're for the better. Thanks for your awesome feedback!

**Suzki:** You're totally right about Marron. I hope you liked what I did with her here! Also, you're right that Para was way too stubborn with Zvarin and if she had been more submissive she might have gotten away without injuries and such… but that's just not who she is. Don't worry, I won't lose motivation for this story! I have to do other things at the same time, but I'm still as excited about it as the day I begun it. =)

**panny-chan731:** Haha, I'm glad you like the story! Thanks for sharing your favourite parts, lol! Para spanking Goten! I had completely forgotten about that. XD And Vegeta thinking about Para's boobs… hehe, those are really random situations! Thanks for your feedback!

**nite-fire:** Thanks for your review! I'm so glad you are enjoying the story! Hope you keep reading. ^-

**PannyChanBriefs:** You are wonderful. Thank you for your amazing feedback! I'm glad you found the "doctor" parts suspenseful, because I wasn't too sure about that and didn't get much feedback on it. I am not scared of needles either! But the thought of someone being able to snap his fingers and make me unconscious… ERGH, CREEPY!

I really understand your need for more Trunks. He has this whole damned soliloquy with a spotlight on him that was supposed to be in this chapter but unfortunately I had to push it to the next chapter, along with the Para/Trunks action. Please forgive meeee! I have moments too where I'm reading or watching something, and I'm just like—goddammit! Get back to the main couple, I want to see them kiss and makeup and have intimate awesome moments! But the truth is, if the whole book/show was all about that, it would eventually get boring. As a writer I can exercise the discipline needed to anticipate the romance, but as a reader or watcher I find it difficult not to flip ahead or just search for those specific couple-y parts, which I feel terrible for. This is why I try so hard to keep the in-between parts interesting too.

Thank you again for your super mood and ego-boosting review, and also for your Facebook messages! I really, really love knowing how you feel about the story so far and where you'd like it to go. =)

**Xxsnow-pixiexX:** I can't believe you skipped classes to read my story! Lol, very naughty. It is rare that people skip school to do reading—I am extremely honoured that it was my writing you chose to read while you were being delinquent, hehe. Thanks for the lovely review and I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy! Can't wait to hear what you think of this one!

gina31486: Hi, thanks for your feedback! You're right; it does seen bad on Pan and Bra to not be there for the perceived threat. That's why I had someone suggest that maybe whatever they were using to hide their ki also hid everyone else's ki from them. Also, that's why I included Dende's little role in this chapter. I hope it seems believable that they wouldn't have been found out.

I really like what you said about putting up with crap from family—you're right, I'm going to have to count on that big time in the end if I want to achieve any sort of forgiveness. It's going to be a toughie. I might even have to pull out all the stops, for example an "I saved the world therefore please forgive me for being annoying" type thing. We'll see how it goes! Thanks again for reviewing, and I hope you liked this one too!

**lisa3000**: Thank you for your review! Glad you like it so far!

**panny-chan731**: Aww, I hope you enjoyed this chappy! Let me know what you think! Hehe, best wishes.

**Arian:** Congrats on your promotion! It sounds like your life is super busy and hectic, hope you're hanging in there. I'm so happy you got a chance to leave me a review! I always enjoy hearing what you think; I do not have a lot of male readers, so I really value your perspective. I loved how you described the "inner struggle of Para between her love for Goten and Trunks and her saiyan attraction to power"—that's way better than even I could have phrased it. I can almost PROMISE you Para/Gotenks action will happen, lol. I am wayyyyy wayyyy too excited about that, hahaha. Don't worry, I will never give up on this fic! I'm invested in it 100%, even while I'm doing other things I still think of it. I am so so so grateful for your support and feedback—thanks for staying with me! I hope that my writing continues to give you all kinds of emotions. =)

**Ann:** Thanks for your review! I hope you enjoy the chappy. Let me know what you think!

**Anonymous:** Thanks for your review! I am really glad you liked Zvarin. Hope you enjoyed this chappy!

* * *

Let's see... when shall I update?

I should be able to publish by the end of November. The Christmas season is coming up and I tend to get all sentimental and want to hang out with my friends more and sing songs... but I'm going to stick with my rhythm of publishing once a month, mandatory. Besides, who needs friends when you can have _readers_? Awesome, awesome readers!

Love you all! Feel free to talk to me on FB!


	22. More Mathematical Equations

_Chapter Twenty-Two: More Mathematical Equations_

Big thanks to Maggie for contributing a few lines which I integrated into this chapter, and for helping me choose Para's outfit. Also, thanks for supporting me and trying to keep my spirits up lately, and for pushing me to work on this.

Also, to my best friend CK: we had some rough patches this year but I feel like we're stronger than ever now. I can't believe how much you've been there for me when the shit hit the fan and I really needed you lately.

Yay, enjoy, or don't. Whatever.

~PanHopeNvs (Nadia Scrieva)

Happy DBZ world starts now:

* * *

After spending what must have been hours discussing the situation at hand and how to deal with it, the members of the Z-team were tired. They had relocated from the destroyed ballroom to more comfortable quarters, and now they all lounged in sofas and armchairs of Bulma's living room.

"So what do we do? Should we trust her?" Uub asked. Even after their lengthy discussion, they seemed to have made little to no progress.

"We don't have any other choice," Videl answered. "She has information and we don't."

"Maybe we should have asked her to show off really cool gadgets from the future," Krillen mumbled with a yawn.

"Yes, I can see how that would be helpful to our task of saving the world," Vegeta muttered.

"What, and technology has never helped us to save the world, Vegeta?" Bulma asked in an offended voice as she elbowed her husband in the ribs.

"You all need to give her a break," Marron said with a frown. "She's been through a lot."

"The pretty lady seemed really nice to me!" Nyssa added.

"Can you all just please stop talking so much?" Goten complained. "I need to try to think about this for a minute."

"If you tried doing that more often it wouldn't be such a challenge, sweetie," Chi-Chi suggested.

"Cut him some slack, mom," Gohan said with a small smile. "It's kind of shocking. I'm also having trouble wrapping my head around it. She's from the future. A future in which most of us are dead. Kami, I thought these days were behind us!"

"Bra would probably know what to do," Goten mumbled to himself softly.

"That's right, imbecile," Vegeta spat. "And why isn't my daughter here right now? Why are we forced to deliberate without the input and creativity of her genius mind? Because you were a dick to her. Apologize. A-POL-O-GIZE. Grovel. GRO-VEL."

"He was nicer to me when I was in pre-school," Goten complained. "Hey: I'm not the only one at fault here. Trunks scared Pan away during the ball, remember? Bra went away to comfort Pan as far as I know."

"That's right," Videl said, tapping her fingernails on the wooden arm of an armchair. "This is a serious situation and Pan should be here right now. She could have helped earlier with instant transmission. The only reason she isn't here is because she can't stand to be in the same room with certain individuals. You kids need to resolve your arguments quickly so that the girls stop avoiding their families! We can't let petty problems weaken us as a team now when we need to have solidarity the most."

"I agree," said Bulma. "We need Bra and Pan. We need every card up our sleeve. Not just to deal with this Medea girl, but to deal with whatever menace she has information on from the future. The girls need to know what's going on."

"I will look for Pan and Bra and try to reason with them to rejoin our team," Uub said sternly. "Everyone else needs to focus on asking Medea to tell us everything she knows. We need to find out exactly every mistake that was made in the future, and why we were unable to defeat this villain."

"Villain or no villain: it doesn't explain why she's so chummy with my daughter," Android 18 said sternly, "or why she's getting so cosy with Trunks. It's downright suspicious."

"Maybe she was just lonely," Trunks said softly, from where he had been sitting, cross legged by the fireplace.

"Loneliness is not an excuse for bad strategy," Vegeta argued. "There's still something bugging me. Something we don't know."

Trunks abruptly raised himself to his feet. He began speaking in the commanding tone he usually reserved for the boardroom. "Listen, everyone. I understand all of your doubts and concerns, but I need you to listen to me for a moment."

All eyes turned toward Trunks obediently. He waited for a moment to confirm and hold their rapt attention before continuing in his authoritative tone:

"Something that many of you may not understand about me is that I have spent a lot of time thinking about… the other me." Trunks paused and looked at his parents, Krillen and Gohan, and even Android 18. "You all knew me, knew who I was and who I would become before I was even born. I've always been defined by what 'Mirai Trunks would have done' or what he would have said, or how much more powerful he was…"

There were a few small nods, and a few curious looks from those wondering about where he was going with this.

"When I was younger I felt jealous of him." Trunks gave a small, self-deprecating smile to his audience. "I know that sounds ridiculous, but I really did. However, when I became an adult, I began to realize how much I owed him. I owe him everything. He came back in time, not to save his world, not to save his loved ones, not for any selfish reasons: he came back for _me_. It is because of him that I have a father, because of him that I have a sister. It is because of him that Goku was able to recover from his heart virus, and live to a happy old age, fighting beside us. It was because of him that my best friend Goten exists. It is because of him that I didn't grow up into a dark and miserable existence, and it is because of him that Gohan was given the training time he needed to defeat Cell. It's because of him that Gohan survived in this timeline… and that Pan was born at all."

"I owe him everything." Trunks bit his lip to fight back the overpowering emotions he felt at sharing his innermost feelings. He saw that his listeners were beginning to understand, and he continued:

"Mirai Trunks affected my life in more ways than any God could have ever done! He took my original wretched destiny by the throat, and he refused to accept it. He changed my world; he created a new and wonderful destiny for me. He gave me a family, friends, and love. Hardly a day goes by that I don't remember to mentally thank him for that. I hope that wherever he is, he feels proud of what his bravery has accomplished."

Trunks paused again, his eyes falling to the floor. "Sometimes I wonder if I would have had the balls to do what he did. Would I have risked it all to go back in time—to do something which had never been done before— just to ensure that another version of me was given a fighting chance? I'm not sure."

"Of course, you would have," Gohan said firmly and affectionately. "You _are _him. A little bit more spoiled, but you are the exact same person."

"Uh, huh." Trunks nodded, unenthusiastically. He looked up at Gohan. "Maybe. But do you really believe that? Would he have done the terrible things I've done? No. Mirai Trunks would be disappointed in me. If he knew the man that I've become—considering the sacrifices he made to ensure that I was given every opportunity that he never was. He would probably be disgusted with me. He would probably disown me as his… self. Can you disown your own self?"

No one responded to this confusing rhetorical question. Eveyone only looked on in surprise as Trunks spilled his guts—his voice transitioning from cool and confident to passionate and emotional.

"I sometimes think that all of you… mom, dad… Gohan, even…" Trunks swallowed as he felt tears threatening to fall, "even Goku... when he was here. Yes, even Goku. I sometimes think that you all loved me because of him. Because of Mirai Trunks."

His voice lowered to almost a whisper, "Not because of me. Not because I was any good. And that's not fair at all. Not fair to him or me. Only Goten… and Pan really loved me for who I was. Not even my sister… well, never mind."

He straightened himself and cleared his voice. He regained his composure and spoke with conviction again. "My whole point is this: if Medea really is from the future then we have no idea what horrors she's seen, and what she's lived through. But she came back here, she tried to become close to us, and she has done nothing but be kind and sweet to every one of us. And we've attacked her for wanting to conceal her identity."

Trunks observed the guilty looks in the room as he continued, "But she obviously loves us. She might be related to some of us in some way. We know she has great respect for my dad, as well as Gohan, she seemed very close to Marron, and it feels like she visited Dende earlier on the Lookout to ask him to heal her wounds. She knows Instant Transmission, so she must know either Pan or Goku in the future. Yes, there are some clues, but let's not try to figure out who she is. Let's just be supportive and loving to her, and treat her with exactly the respect we treated Mirai Trunks. Doesn't she deserve that?"

When there were some nods, Trunks felt a sense of triumph. He offered his concluding statements: "It seems like she might not have much of a future to go back to, since she's been here for quite some time already… so let's trust her, and care for her, and treat her like what she is: a member of the Z-team."

A long moment of silence followed his speech, as the others stared at him and processed his words.

Bulma was the first to respond, and she simply moved forward and hugged her son. She held him close, stroking the back of his head gently.

"That's my boy. My good, kind boy," she said in a voice filled with emotion. "I'm so proud of you, dear."

Goten nodded in agreement. "Trunks has always been a loyal friend to me. I trust him and I will do as he says. At the moment, it seems like he's the only one of us with a heart."

Trunks looked over his mother's shoulder at his friend and smiled at him. "I'm going to find her. I feel ashamed of the way we treated her."

"I'll come with you," Goten said enthusiastically. "I really need to apologize."

Trunks smiled at his mom and stepped out of her embrace, before taking to the air.

"Boy!" Vegeta shouted, making him stop in midflight.

"What?" Trunks asked.

"Don't trust her. Saiyan women are not to be trusted! Especially ones who are far more powerful than you are."

"Gee, thanks for rubbing that in my face, dad."

"You are welcome."

Trunks was about to fly away again when he turned back to his father with a frown. "I can't please you, can I? First I get crap for ceasing my pursuit of a 'worthy saiyan woman' to go after a weakling human, and now that it turns out my 'weakling human' girlfriend is actually an extremely powerful saiyan, you're still not happy!"

"I am your father. I will always be displeased about everything you do. It is my right."

Trunks sighed and flew away, with Goten close on his heels.

* * *

"If only every girl in the world had a God who did her laundry... the world would be a better place."

Para cheerfully said this to herself as she slipped out of the mystically repaired ball-gown. _It would have been hell washing the blood out of that, and impossible to get it mended! _She carefully hung the dress up in the small walk-in closet, before crossing her arms in satisfaction.

_Here I am. One of me, with no time limit. It will be so much easier to do everything when I go out with the boys..._

_The boys._

Para's mood suddenly took a swan dive as the events of the past few hours began to sink in. _The boys hate me now. They hate me for lying, and they're suspicious and... I went Super Saiyan 3 in front of them! Oh, everything is ruined. Revenge... I'll never have my revenge. It was all for nothing. And Zvarin... NO! I can't think about him right now._ _I'll just fall apart._

She hit herself in the forehead to stop the unwanted direction of her thoughts, and then immediately winced. She had used a little bit more force than intended, and given herself an instant headache. She immediately looked around for someone to blame for her anger and pain, but there was only herself.

She stood there, with one hand pressed against her forehead as though it would ease the self-inflicted throbbing of her brain. _I need a bath. No, a bath is too relaxing, too much of a reward. I'll take a shower._ Para left the closet and headed for the ensuite.

She had never used the shower in this house, but she was pleased to find the stream rather powerful and hot. She had closed her eyes and allowed the jets of hot water to bombard her body. She had turned the heat of the water up to the maximum—until it would have scalded the skin of a normal person. She also turned the power of the jets to their maximum. She stood there for several minutes.

Para just wanted her bed.

Her little natural high from flight and healing had quickly disappeared. She tried to use the scorching hot water to burn away the feelings which lingered from the past few hours. She tried to use it to warm her insides.

She blissfully thought about absolutely nothing as the steam rose from her skin.

After an undefined amount of time, the water began to run cold. She realized this and looked up in surprise. She had no idea how long she'd been standing there.

Stepping out of the shower, she reached out to grab a towel—but then remembered that she no longer needed to conceal herself. She briefly raised her ki to dry her body and hair, before absent-mindedly walking into the bedroom.

Now she stood, completely naked, staring at the bed which was _hers_. Hers as in it belonged to her—to Para. The bed was neatly made. She wondered if she was the type of person who neatly made a bed. She didn't really know. She knew that Pan definitely wasn't, and Bra usually was.

Was there some kind of mathematical equation that she could use to find out who she was? Could she plug in certain values which individually described Pan and Bra, all the correct variables, and come out with a detailed spreadsheet or roadmap of the newborn person that she now was?

She just wanted her bed.

By that, she really meant _her _own bed, in her own house. Somewhere comfortable, somewhere she had slept thousands of times before. Somewhere she felt safe and settled. Somewhere she knew she belonged. Yet she knew she could not un-fuse and return to her individual homes. It was out of the question. She couldn't go to Bra's home, and she couldn't go to her parents' homes. She had made herself an outcast with her actions. She had created a new identity, and with it, made herself a new bed— and now she had to lie in it. Proverbially and literally.

Walking forward, Para reached out to robotically touch the soft duvet cover. It wasn't that it wasn't a particularly nice bed… it was lovely. The bed was ornately carved cherry wood, and decorated with red sheets and red pillowcases. It was just so foreign and cold to her. Every time she had used this bed it had been something to do with Trunks. It was a play-bed, a tool, a fake; it wasn't a comfy sleep-bed. She swallowed and forced herself to grasp the covers and pull them back.

She forced herself to go through the motions of climbing into bed and pulling the duvet up under her chin. She even signed a little sigh of contentment, although she was anything but content.

It was somewhat nice to be horizontal. An easy heartbeat carried her blood through her body more gently than it had all day. It was somewhat nice to not have broken bones any longer. While being in physical pain was a state that she had grown accustomed to, it still had the effect of seeping into her emotions and making her miserable. In addition to the physical pain, the day's events had left her yearning for sleep.

Sleep was painless and peaceful.

Para closed her eyes. She tried to snuggle in amongst the pillows, trying to get comfortable—but she found she couldn't move.

She tried to turn over to her side, but she still found she couldn't move. She began to try to flail her arms and legs frantically in a panic, but her limbs were paralyzed. She couldn't even open her eyelids.

Para felt a gigantic energy signal materialize on top of her. She felt a large hand encircle her throat, and powerful fingers digging into her neck. She felt a crushing weight and a burning power on top of her.

_No!_ she frantically communicated telepathically to him. _Zvarin, please! Stop! You're going to kill me!_

"You will be mine. Willingly. There is nothing left for you here on this planet."

That voice. It was horrifying. His fingers began to dig into her flesh even deeper until she felt dizzy and lightheaded. He was killing her.

_Zvarin, please! Please let me live, I'll do anything._

"Of course you will. You'll do anything. That includes giving me your hand in marriage, and your loyalty."

_No!_

"No? But you already said you'd do 'anything.'"

_Then… then do it. Just… kill me quickly. Be done with it._

Zvarin's laughter rang out loudly, echoing off the walls of her bedroom. The laugher reverberated in her ear canals and skull, until she shuddered in dread. With that shudder, she found she could move again.

She bolted straight up to a seated position in bed. She looked around fearfully, and found the room dark and empty, and quiet.

Zvarin had never been on Earth. He had never come into her bedroom and choked her. It had all been a dream. She realized that she was clenching the duvet too tightly, and she released it.

"I can't do this!" she shouted to herself, leaping out of bed. She surprised herself with the frantic tone of her own voice. She ran her hands through her hair, fighting the urge to pull it out in frustration. She whispered. "I have to get out of here."

Para moved into the bathroom, and flipped on the light. She examined her neck for bruises, but was mildly surprised to find that there were none there. It had felt so real. She ran her fingers over her neck, and could still feel the iron grasp of fingers digging into her throat. A bout of nausea came to her again, and she clutched the sides of her bathroom sink as she vomited.

A bottle's worth of champagne was rejected from her stomach. She heaved six times as her hands clutched the sides of the ceramic basin so hard that the sink began to crack under her fingers.

"Come on, Para," she said to herself in the mirror, glaring at herself angrily, and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "We can get over this. We need to get a grip of ourselves. We got ourselves into this mess, so let's ride it out. I'm here for you. Come what may, I'm right here for you—inside of you."

Para sighed and found her legs giving out on her as she sunk to the bathroom floor. She wrapped her arms around herself and sat there for a moment. Then she realized that this was how everything had begun. Sitting on a bathroom floor, feeling miserable and sorry for herself.

"No," she whispered, pointing a finger and shaking it at nothing in particular. "No, you don't despair. I won't let you despair. Let's get out of here. Let's… go somewhere."

Para crawled out of the bathroom on her hands and knees and immediately began to scramble for her purse. She dug through it for eyeliner. Finding the bottle, she materialized in front of her bathroom mirror again. When she unscrewed the small bottle, and held the wand up to her eye, she was slightly surprised to see the shape and color of the eye that stared back at her from within the mirror.

Usually, she did her makeup separately as Pan and Bra. Having only had thirty minutes at a time, it would have been a waste to apply makeup_ after _the fusion had begun.

Now, as she lowered the brush to her eye, she frowned as her hand began to shake. _For Dende's sake! It isn't fucking brain surgery! And I've been told I have the steadiest hands possible when it comes to doing that. Now I can't even put eyeliner on. What the hell is wrong with me?_

Para pressed her pinky finger against the mirror to steady her hand as she followed the unfamiliar contours of her lash line. Her hand was still shaking, and she cursed as she accidentally made the line much wider than she had intended in one spot.

"Whatever," she mumbled, adding to the thickness of the black line across the top of the whole eye to cover her mistake. She crossed her hand over to her other eye and placed her pinky finger on her cheek for stability. The nail of her finger dug into her cheek, leaving a little semi-circle impression there, but she didn't even notice it.

Looking disappointedly at the haphazard job, she sighed. She also noted that she was still naked. _Maybe I should get some clothes on before I continue with my makeup. Maybe my nerves need a few seconds to steady themselves after that nightmare._

"I have to get the hell out of here," she said again. She walked to her small-walk in closet, and looked at the selection of things she had bought on an impulse just to fill the racks.

"What would I _never _wear?" she asked herself with determination.

* * *

"Are you sure we should be visiting her now, Trunks?" Goten asked hesitantly. "It's like four o'clock in the morning. She's probably sleeping."

"She seemed really upset earlier. I think it might lift her spirits if we apologized… we're closer to her than everyone else, except maybe Marron. We need to tell her that we still trust her, even though she lied; that we aren't mad at her…"

"She's not here, Trunks," Goten pointed out.

"What?" Trunks asked. He looked down at the little house they were hovering over in confusion.

They had flown to Para's house out of habit, and now they hovered above it. Having been used to not being able to sense her energy, they had not initially thought of finding her by sensing instead of by address.

"Where else would she be at this hour?" Trunks wondered.

"Well… do you really want to stalk her?" Goten asked again, for confirmation.

"Yes. I mean… she is my girlfriend, I should know what she's doing at 4 AM," Trunks mumbled uncertainly.

"She's still your girlfriend even after we learned that she's a Super Saiyan from the future?" Goten inquired.

"Is she still your friend after you learned that you were teaching someone more powerful than both of us to form their first ball of ki? And to jog gently at a human's pace around a high-school track to improve her cardio?" Trunks teased.

Goten frowned. "Can you imagine! And all of that time she could have flattened my ass. And the mud-wrestling…"

"The what…?" Trunks asked, raising an eyebrow.

Goten cleared his throat. "A-hem. Never mind. So you're sure? You want to stalk Medea?"

"Yeah… but let's not call it that, ok?" Trunks said nervously.

"No, you have to say it," Goten insisted. "Say that you want to stalk her. Because it's 4 AM and we're creeping around her house, and acting like two old perverted stalkers. Say it!"

"Do I have to…"

"Say it!"

"Fine!" Trunks yelled impatiently, "I'M AN OLD PERVERTED STALKER!. Now do you have any idea where she could be?"

Goten grinned happily. "Wow, you're really off your game. I have no idea, dude. But I know how to follow my nose."

Goten turned and flew off in the direction of Medea's ki. Trunks followed, feeling kind of stupid for having said what Goten had asked him to say even though Goten had no information more than he did. He honestly hadn't even thought of sensing for Medea's ki, because his mind had been preoccupied with all kinds of stressful thoughts.

Now, as Trunks followed Goten's trail of white ki automatically, he was surprised to see that Goten was seriously picking up speed and crossing China. He frowned and tried to sense for Medea's ki. Indeed, he did sense it far to the North-West.

When they arrived at their destination, Trunks looked around in confusion. They were in the heart of a major metropolis.

"This looks familiar," Trunks admitted. "But I can't place it. Where are we?"

"You don't recognize it?" Goten asked in surprise. "Well, I guess you travel all over the world so much that everywhere looks the same. We're in the Sin City of the Middle East. At least according to Bra."

"Beirut?" Trunks asked, remembering.

"Yep. Lebanon! And that," Goten said, pointing to the building they stood in front of, "is Bra's favorite night club. She liked it so much the last time we were here that she bought it."

"Medea travelled halfway across the world for a night club?" Trunks mused.

"At least she gave her patronage to one owned by Bra—that's pretty loyal. Maybe in the future Bra tells her stories about how great it used to be in the past, so she decided to check it out."

"That makes sense… but how are we going to get in? We're not dressed in formal attire anymore," Trunks pointed out, gesturing to their gis.

"What is wrong with you?" Goten asked, shaking his head. "You're Trunks Briefs! Get a grip. Come on."

Goten walked to the front of the long line of people waiting to get into the club. He went directly to the bouncer.

"Hey, man," Goten said casually, "How's it going?"

"Hey. Don't I know you from somewhere?" the burly bouncer asked.

"Yeah, I came here a few times with Bra. I'm her boyfriend, remember?"

"Oh, of course! Mr. Son, how great to see you again."

"This is Bra's brother," Goten said, thumbing behind him to point out Trunks. "Don't mind him, he's in a bad mood. Bra sent us to check the place out while we were in the neighbourhood as an errand for her."

"Women. Always sending us to do their errands!" the bouncer complained. "Go buy my tampons! Go buy toilet paper! Go buy vodka! It never ends."

"Tell me about it," Goten said, nodding with a raised eyebrow.

"So can we go in?" Trunks asked in annoyance.

"Sure…"

Just then, two very loud men burst out of the club laughing and falling over themselves. They were obviously very drunk, and possibly drugged.

"Dude! It's THE Trunks Briefs!" one of the guys said to the other, hitting his friend in the shoulder.

"No way! The President of Capsule Corp.! He's super famous and he's standing like a few feet away from me! For real!" the man dropped to his knees and began to make mocking worshipping motions with his hands. "Hail the President! King of the world."

Trunks rolled his eyes.

"Hey President, are you here to check out the twins?"

"The twins?" Trunks asked in annoyance.

"Yeah man… they're nuts! They're doing some weird thing with glowsticks. Awesome glowsticks, man!"

"And there's like fire, and lightning, and they're dancing so crazy they made TORNADOES!"

"What are you people _on_?" Trunks groaned.

"I think it's LED flashing lights," a girl who had just exited the club suggested, "They have these flashing LED lights in their hair. Quite a cool effect."

"And they're definitely doing ecstacy!" said her friend, "Or maybe some kind of new designer drug. Those girls just aren't running out of energy. It makes me tired just looking at them. See if you can ask them where they got it, maybe they can get you some. "

Trunks sighed and glanced at Goten. "Are you sure you want to go into this place?"

"Yes, we're already here. Trust me; your sister has good taste in clubs. It's a really nice place."

"Yeah, but…"

"What's wrong, Trunks? You were on a total clubbing binge a few weeks ago. You wanted to see her, and she's inside…"

"Fine." Trunks entered the gigantic ornate double doors, and walked through the velvet-lined corridor, closely followed by Goten. He didn't know what he expected to see when he found Medea, but he was worried and anxious. Why would she be in a nightclub in Beirut? Was she doing some of these strange drugs that all the kids were talking about? She had already been caught with one syringe…

What kind of horrible future did she come from? Trunks knew that whatever state he found her in, he would have to understand and forgive her. He would help nurse her back to health and get rid of her addictions… but then, what drugs were powerful enough to affect a Super Saiyan?

Trunks and Goten rounded the corner which took them out of the corridor and into the club which was incredibly well-lit with psychedelic neon and ultraviolet lights. They both squinted their sensitive saiyan eyes as they took in the flashing, bouncing, gyrating crowd of teenagers in sequins glowing white fabrics, and body paint. Everyone was wearing the skimpiest possible pieces of fabric and the highest heels imaginable.

There were exorbitant, impressive displays in the club, including huge pillars in which electricity created the effect of constant lightning bolts in time with the music. There were also circular hoops of fire in which acrobats performed dangerous feats suspended from the ceiling.

"Where could she be?" Trunks mumbled, scanning the crowd.

"Feel her energy," Goten said, concentrating. "It's pulsating very quickly, she's somewhere in the middle of this crowd…"

As the guys meandered through the crowd they found that everyone in the club was mesmerized by something on stage. Trunks ignored the enthusiastic crowd, but Goten followed their eyes to the focus of their attention.

"Whoa. Uhhh… Trunks?" Goten said, pointing to a raised stage in the center of the room.

Trunks turned his attention to the stage and stopped dead in his tracks. Glimpses of female body parts moving sensuously in the flashing light hypnotized him. There were two women, dancing intimately with each other. Their hands caressed each other, tangling in each other's hair, fingers trailing over each other's chests and sliding over each other's thighs. Trunks swallowed at the sight of these two perfect female bodies entwining together in dance.

They were the twins everyone had been talking about. They were both wearing some sort of belly dancers' attire; their tops were made of pink sequins and crystal flowers. His eyes roamed further down, and he became entranced by the sliver beads swaying over the toned abdomens of the women. His eyes still traveled lower and he drank in the tiny pink metallic miniskirts which just barely covered what they had to. More beads hung from bands around their hips, and the light reflected the glittering crystals rolling over their thighs.

The twins suddenly turned to face Trunks and Goten in their dancing. The boys were surprised when they saw the faces of the two seductive Arabian-style dancers—they were wearing more makeup than the boys were used to seeing her with, and they were countless strands of beads woven through her hair, but it was unmistakable.

Both girls were Para. After sending the boys an inviting look, the two saiyans continued dancing their hearts out. Both girls held streams of ki in their hands as they danced wildly and passionately, creating the effect of dancing with glowsticks. The speed of their dancing and the afterimage of the ki created beautiful spherical neon light cages around the girls.

_All my life I've been good,  
But now...  
I'm thinking, "What the hell?"  
All I want is to mess around  
And I don't really care about..._

_If you love me  
If you hate me  
You can't save me  
Baby, baby  
All my life I've been good  
But now...  
What the hell?_

A large portion of the crowd—actually, most of the crowd, was cheering for Para and the creativity of her movement. They didn't even seem to find it strange when her feet left the ground for extended periods of time while she was dancing.

Para's hair was flashing from its natural dark indigo to the golden-blonde of Super Saiyan several times in each second—indeed, giving the effect of having flashing LED lights in her hair. The beads of her costume moved and danced around her body like a halo with the energy of her dance.

Goten and Trunks stood spellbound, watching the two Paras dance for several minutes.

Goten was the first to react, clearing his throat. "So those kids weren't that drunk when they were talking about the awesome twins. That's pretty cool, huh? She knows the split-form technique."

"And they weren't kidding about her making tornadoes either," Trunks added, watching as the Paras spun around so quickly that wisps of ki around them were caught up into a mini-tornado.

"This is pretty wild," Goten remarked, smiling in appreciation.

"She knows that we're here, yet she won't stop dancing and come and speak to us," Trunks complained.

"That's because she's having fun, man!" Goten said, hitting Trunks in the shoulder. "We should go join her. She probably just needs to relax and have a good time."

"You take the one on the right; I'll take the one on the left. Talk to her and find out if she's okay," Trunks commanded, before flying off in the direction of half of his girlfriend.

When he landed in front of her, she briefly paused in her wild dancing and turned to face him.

"What do you want?" she asked harshly. "Have you come to try to beat me up again?"

"No, Medea. I came to apologize for…"

"Apologize? Sure, forgiven. Just forget it all and dance with me!" Para shouted over the music. She grabbed his hand and pulled him against her as she continued to sway to the song. Trunks felt a small tremor of excitement go through him, and he was tempted to dance with her, but then he pulled away abruptly.

"Medea, what is wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?" he asked sternly.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"It's the middle of the night… and you're dancing on stage in a nightclub in Beirut!" Trunks shouted. "And you're wearing… _that_! What is that? You look like a harem-girl! This isn't like you!"

"It isn't _like me_?" she said angrily. "How do you know anything about _what I'm like_? I don't think that_ I_ even know what I'm like right now!"

"I know you, Medea! I know that you're a good person. I know that you're a serious, intelligent woman who…"

"A few hours ago you didn't even know that I had saiyan blood in me. Then you ganged up on me with all your friends and tried to _kill_ me! If I were anyone else I'd be dead!"

"Look, I don't care what your blood is made of!" Trunks said, putting his hands on her shoulders. She gasped, and a wave of sharp icy panic went through her as she remembered Zvarin grabbing her by the shoulders. "I went looking for you tonight to tell you that I'm sorry for the way we all behaved. I'm sorry for the way that _I_ behaved. Medea, you have been good to me and I care for you… I have no idea what the future is like where you're from, or what relationship you and I have there—but you're here now, and I'm going to take care of you, got it?"

Her fear and panic at being touched began to dissipate. It wasn't a rough tough which meant her harm—it was a compassionate touch. He was reaching out to her, and being sweet and caring.

"Trunks…" she said softly, looking at him in confusion. "No, no, no. What are you saying?"

"I mean it. I can see in your eyes that you don't believe me, but I mean it. I'm going to take care of you, alright?" Trunks closed the small distance between them and kissed her forehead. "I don't know where you've been, or what you've seen. I don't know if I'm alive or dead where you come from, but I'm here now—and you gave us the foreknowledge we need to change the future. I won't let anyone hurt you. This beast that you're so scared of? I promise you that I will do everything I can—I will spend every ounce of my energy in training to become strong enough to protect you and this planet from that man. He won't destroy our home. I promise."

She shook her head, shutting her eyes tightly, "I don't understand… how can you…"

"You're one of us," he said to her gently but firmly. "I don't know the reason you flew halfway across the world to dance in a foreign nightclub, but if you're angry, or anxious, or stressed, or anything—just come to me instead next time. I'm here for you. I'll listen to you."

She reached out and placed her hand on his cheek, staring into his sincere blue eyes. "Trunks…"

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Goten approached the half of Para on the right, and tried very hard to think of the right thing to say.

"Hi Medea… wow! You sure know how to boogie."

_Boogie? _Goten asked himself. _You actually said "boogie?" Way to be charming, Goten._

Para turned toward him, and gave him a sly knowing look that made him think for a moment that she could read his thoughts.

"Well, what I meant to say is…" Goten began.

"You silly boy," Para said coyly, stepping closer to him, still swirling beams of ki around her body seductively as though they were ribbons. "Come here."

Goten moved forward like a man mesmerized until his body collided with Para's, molding against hers perfectly. Her hands slid around his neck as they began to gyrate to the music together.

Para threw her head back and laughed, enjoying the feeling of dancing with Goten. She levitated them both off the ground and spun them around and around so quickly that the room around them was just a blur—she was quite sure that they were moving too fast for most of the people in the club to see, but everyone was so drunk they would just think it was a special effect or something of the like.

Goten smiled and looked into the sparkling eyes of the girl he was dancing with. He loved dancing—but he had never felt such a thrilling sensation before. The music in the club echoed right into his bones, and the lights entranced him—the atmosphere was hypnotizing, and Para was just the cherry on top of it all. Her laughter was enchanting, and he totally understood why she had come here to relax after the stressful events of the night.

"I didn't think I'd get to dance with you again so soon," Goten said, smiling happily.

"Neither did I," she said, as they slowed down their mad spiralling and landed them away from the raised platform, and in the middle of the crowd. "The ball was only last night, wasn't it? It feels like it was forever ago."

"I didn't even know who you really were when we danced together then," Goten said.

"Goten, I really didn't mean to deceive…"

He placed a finger on her lips. "Shhhh. I like dancing with you much better now that I know it won't hurt you if I step on your feet."

She giggled and wrapped her hand around his finger, using it to tug him closer. "You goof. You're an amazing dancer and you'd never step on my feet!"

"No… but it's still nice to know that you're made of tough stuff," he said, his eyes traveling down to her hips as she swayed them rhythmically with the music. His couldn't resist reaching out to let his hands rest on her hips. "I didn't really mean that we had to cancel those training sessions… maybe we could just make them a little more appropriate for your ability level? There's a lot more that we could do together now that I know you can handle it!"

"What would you like to do with me, Goten?" she asked seductively, as she placed her hands on his hands and pinned them to her hips.

"I…" Goten gulped. "Well, you know. We could do a lot more… more technically advanced things. More complicated things… because your body can handle it…"

Para let go of Goten's hands and spun around, moving her shoulders up and down with the music and allowing her hair to toss from side to side. "Hmmm," she said, returning to face him, and allowing her breasts to brush up against his chest. "That's not very specific. My body can handle _a lot_ of things."

Goten swallowed as the young saiyan woman slipped her leg between his and allowed the top of her thigh to nestle snugly against his crotch. Her dancing caused just the amount of pressure against him that he couldn't fight his rapidly developing erection. Goten tried to pull away from her so that she wouldn't feel it, but she already had, and she was giggling.

"Medea…" he warned in a throaty voice. He glanced behind him nervously to see if Trunks was watching, but his friend was caught up in a heated discussion with the other Para. Goten turned back to his portion of the girl. "You're being a bit too… uhhh, that is… I think that we…"

"Shhhhhh," she said to him softly, putting a finger on his lips to mimic him. She quickly swiveled so that her back and bottom were pressed against him, and she pulled his arms around her waist. She leaned her head back against his neck and shoulder so that her cheek was pressed against his chin. She closed her eyes and continued to dance with her body pressed achingly close to Goten's. _This is much better than a hot shower, _she mused to herself. _This is just what I needed._

Goten's hands tightened around her waist as he buried his face in her hair. He ran his hands up and down the exposed skin of her stomach. His heartbeat quickened as he inhaled her scent and felt her entire warm body writhing against his. The soft skin of her cheek against his face was almost too much to bear.

Similarly, Para loved the feel of his slight stubble. It took a really long time for Goten to grow any stubble, and it was unusual to feel it on his face. He'd been letting himself go, but she didn't mind too much. She nuzzled his rough face appreciatively, and allowed the pull of her hormones to take control of her body. She craned her neck backwards to grant her lips better access to his face, and trailed them along his jawline before planting a butterfly kiss on Goten's cheek, very close to his lips.

"You taste like cigarettes," she whispered against the corner of his mouth, her eyes still closed.

"Medea," Goten said gruffly. His fingers began to trail down her stomach and slip under the waistband of her skirt. He continued searching down through her clothing for the centre of her warmth, until he realized what he was doing and quickly removed his hand.

She spoke to him telepathically as her lips lingered against his. _You're so bad, Goten. I think I understand why you started smoking. You don't care anymore, and you like the feeling of being bad. I kind of feel like that tonight. That's why I came here._

_Yeah… I don't care anymore,_ Goten responded, _but it's not right. I'm trying really hard to care._

_Goten, I want you to be bad with me. _As she told him this, she allowed her tongue to dart out and lick the corner of his lips.

_Medea_, Goten tried to protest telepathically, _he's my best friend_.

"Mmmm," she answered in nonchalant acknowledgement as she continued to rub her bottom against Goten's groin. Goten groaned a little bit, and held her against him more tightly, allowing one of his hands to travel up and cup one of her sequined breasts inside his hand. He slipped his thumb in under the edge of her bra so that he could rub her nipple.

Para moaned when she felt Goten push on her nipple firmly with his thumb; he was definitely treating her body differently now that he knew she was a saiyan. He was touching her more like he used to touch Bra. The way she liked it. Shivers of delight ran through her, and she felt her body turn to liquid under Goten's hands.

"Aren't you worried Trunks is going to see?" Goten whispered into her ear.

"I don't care," she murmured. "Besides, they're busy." She didn't have to look behind them to see if Trunks was looking in their direction because she knew exactly what was happening with the other half of herself. It wasn't nearly as fun.

"_They're_ busy? She's you! You're her!" Goten tried to reason. "You're split in half."

"Nuh-uh. Feel my body. I'm all in one piece, silly." Para stretched her arms back around Goten's neck and lightly ran her fingers through his hair. This allowed him better access to fondle the breast he held in his hand. She mused to herself, _actually, I'm doubled. No—I'm added together, and then doubled. And then split in half—but both halves are equally strong, so it's more like being copied or cloned... wow, more mathematical equations._

"Medea… we shouldn't be doing this," Goten said slowly, trying to control his raging hormones.

"Fine, do you not want to dance with me?" Para abruptly tore his hand away from her breast and pulled away from him. She glanced back at him over her shoulder and pouted a little before beginning to walk away from her prey. "That's fine. I was having lots of fun on my own before you showed up."

"No, don't go," Goten said, diving forward and circling her waist with his hands and pulling her back against him. He lowered his voice and spoke to her gruffly. "I want to dance with you… but the problem is that I want to do a _lot _more than just dance with you right now."

Para's cheeks flushed with heat. "We're facing imminent apocalypse, maybe you _should_ do everything you want to do to me."

"Since when is that a valid excuse?" Goten asked.

"It's the best one I've got," Para answered.

"I don't think it's good enough," Goten said, but he couldn't let go of her.

* * *

"Trunks… do you really mean it? You're not mad at me for lying to you?"

"Kami! Is that what this is about? You think I'm mad at you?"

"How could you _not_ be mad?" she said, throwing both of her hands up in the air. "The things I did! I poked myself right through the stomach so that you would think I was a normal human girl getting shot! I acted like I didn't know what a saiyan was when you told me. And when we were in bed together... if I had just powered up a little bit then you wouldn't have hurt me, but I was scared that you would freak out if you saw me go Super Saiyan while we were having sex before first explaining..."

"I did," Trunks said, frowning. "I think I went Super Saiyan 2, and I thought you were a normal human. Kami... if you_ had_ been..."

"I know, I know, I would have disintegrated into ashes or something from being that close to you. You know, I would have tried to fake that too if I could have managed to disintegrate in a convincing fashion. Trunks, how can you even look at me right now? I'm probably the last person on earth..."

"Medea, you're the only person on earth I want to be with right now," Trunks said, taking both of her hands into his. "Please believe me, I mean it. Look at my face. I trust you. I'm not angry about the lies, I understand why you had to conceal everything."

Para squeezed his hands tightly, and looked at him intently. She concentrated on reading his thoughts.

_I really want to be right here; right here with you. I want to support you and help you to achieve your mission, whatever it might be. I want to be beside you, protect you, and keep you safe. Please believe me. Please open your heart to me. Everything will be better now. We'll change the future, together._

She looked at him in shock. She'd thought that revealing her strength had screwed up everything, and that she would no longer be able to get close enough to Trunks. She had thought that the revenge plan had been halted for good by her little "I'm from the future" lie. But instead it had been accelerated by it. She'd hit a deep chord in Trunks by saying that she was from the future. A very deep chord that had defined and impacted his whole existence. He was now with her 100%, and willing to do anything for her. He had nothing else in his mind but the desire for her happiness.

The poor bastard.

He was falling in love with her.

And if he was falling in love with her, that meant he was falling out of love with Pan. Pan hadn't once been mentioned in his thoughts. She felt a pang of jealousy. _Oh, Dende. I'm feeling jealous of myself again. And speaking of feeling jealous of myself..._

She discreetly glanced across the ballroom at the scene of her other self dirty dancing with Goten. They were practically making out! Right behind Trunks' back. This was ridiculous, but thrilling.

She looked back at Trunks, and moved forward to give him an appreciative hug.

"Why don't we go somewhere a little more private to talk about this?" she asked him. "It's way too loud in here."

"That sounds good," he said, nodding. She moved two fingers to her forehead and the couple disappeared.

* * *

"They're gone, Goten," Para informed him.

"Gone?" he asked, sensing the room and looking behind him to confirm. "Where to?"

"Japan," she answered with a smile. "We're all alone."

"So now I can do anything I want?" Goten said.

"I suppose so," Para answered.

"Then let me taste you," Goten said, lowering his mouth to hers, and seizing her lips in a hungry kiss.

Para kissed back, feeling the fireworks and the excitement rush through her as it only could when someone one cared for was being betrayed.

Luckily, that person had betrayed her pretty badly. Two wrongs don't make a right, but four wrongs; they add, or multiply, or divide to create a catastrophe. Goten's lips against hers felt delicious, and perfect, all the more for the fact that they were a lovely prelude to her long-sought-after revenge. Revenge, quite literally, tasted very sweet.

Para raised two fingers to her forehead and teleported Goten out into the middle of a beautiful forest, right beside a little moonlit pond. She pushed him down on the ground before flinging her own body down on top of his, and resuming contact with his lips.

"Medea," Goten growled, grasping the fabric of her bra and ripping it off her chest. Sequins went flying, littering the grassy carpet.

She giggled in delight and sat up on him, straddling his hips in her tiny miniskirt.

"Now, maybe you can actually teach me something, Goten."

* * *

Was that a mean cliffy?

Disclaimer: Do not take Para's makeup session as a makeup tutorial! Never put eyeliner on without first applying foundation and powder and eyeshadow. I just had to skip those parts for the sake of the story.

* * *

Thank you to the following folks:

**nite-fire:** Thank you so much for your comments on the trauma! I put a lot of efforts into those parts. =)

**manazmama1:** I'm so glad you found the parts about guessing her identity funny! =) Thank you so much for your lovely review, and I am flattered that this is your favorite story!

**morgan:** Thank you for your lovely in depth review! I'm glad that you noted the casual foreshadowing of the "I'm from the future" line, hehehe. I've been planning that one for a while! It is really an honor that such a picky reader as yourself would enjoy my work! Thank you sooo much for reading! =D

**Bluebanany:** OMG! The feeling one gets when they find out that one of their favorite writers enjoys their story is indescribable. I LOVE your Goten/Pan story "A Saiyan's Despair" and I can't wait for you to continue! I was delighted beyond belief to get your review. Thank you so much!

**famoso**: In your last review you said "stop being lazy and publish a book, you should be getting paid to write"—so I did! I published, but I'm not really selling enough books for it to make any sort of a difference in my life, lol. Oh well, maybe soon. I am so glad that I made you HATE Vegeta and then love him again. :D And also, the Marron comments were nice. Heheh, thank you for your amazing review!

**Zi-Dawg:** I'm glad you liked the banter between Para and Vegeta. =) Hahaha, sorry about Para talking to herself a lot—I'm trying to portray her as confused, but still pretty smart, and going a little bit crazy. That's why there's that moment where she's talking to herself and pointing at nothing and crawling on her hands and knees in this chapter. This made me laugh: "Well I'm your God and I just fixed you dress...NOW LOVE ME!" Haha, I'm delighted that you like Dende here!

**Anmylica:** I think you're right that "The Safest Place" was a better chapter title. I think I might go back and change it. Ok, changed. Hehe, I like what you said about Zvarin… he IS a hundred men, lol. Hope you like what I did with the ending of this one!

**LNCrow:** Sorry that the secret is being kept for so long, lol. I just have so much I can do with it, that I can't give up on Para yet.

**hot4dbz:** I guess you're going to be even madder at me now. =( It took me 5 weeks to update! Sorrryy. "Can she really call it home when shes lying to the ppl she loves?" Very insightful question! Lol at your comments on Vegeta. I'm trying to make characters surprising compared to other fics. Goten and the training sessions! Hahaha, I hope you like what I did with that in here. You're definitely right that frying pans are very useful. =D I love, love, love your reviews and can't wait to hear what you think of this one! Big hugs!

**shahi:** Thank you for your review! And for pointing out the American/British spelling issues. I'm trying to remember to write like an American more consistently, lol. Male DBZ servers! I wish! I'm really happy you found the Marron and Dende parts so touching. =) I really enjoyed writing those parts.

**aria710: **I can't believe what a thoughtful and amazing review you left! This must be why you don't leave them often; you put a lot of thought and energy into them, and I really, really appreciate it! Thank you for your comments on the plot and for saying that I craft a believable story! It really means a lot. It's really uplifting to hear that you find the characters to be realistic! I understand that you like Pan and Bra better than Para… I definitely want to examine how fusion is going to their heads a bit more. I think it can be fun. Hehe, I also think that you will enjoy the Gotenks parts when they arrive. Thank you for your encouragement and kind words, and I hope you will continue to stay with the story!

**KarinKurosakiHitsugaya913**: I'm so glad you liked the Dende and Para moment! Thanks for your review. =)

**PaintedinAllColors:** You can't tell me that I write Vegeta well enough! He's the toughest character to do by a mile. Thanks for your comments on the funnies, and I can't believe you still managed to tie Yamcha into the Zvarin thing somehow, lol! Now that takes imagination. "WHY IS THE PERFECT MAN NEVER REAL?" LOOOOOLLLL! Watch it, I might just actually include Yamcha in the Zvarin situation just to amuse you! XD I will try to tackle Loud Silence in the near future. =) Hope you liked this one!

**panny-chan731:** Thanks for your cute review!

**PannyChanBriefs:** I LOVE YOU! *squeeze* Thank you for your amazing review! From mentioning the parts you found powerful, to the comic relief, and Veggie-dialogue, your review is a total ego-booster. I know what you mean about feeling the drama and sharing the funny—I feel the same way. It's hard to express how sad things make you feel. The Nvs in my penname stands for my real initials. My middle name is "Vimla" lol, but hardly anyone knows that because I never use it. Now you know. =)

**Talk Smith Kid: **Thanks for re-reading Loud Silence, I'm glad you like them both! I understand you miss Pan and Bra, but without the tension from the time pressure things will be less exciting… I will try to keep things exciting! Yes! Come to Canada and hang out with me, lol.

**KayuraK:** Your parenthetical comments on Vegeta made me crack up. "(I thought I was the only one who can go from rageaholic to the one trying to calm things down when I was the one who started it because I just realized what a cunt I've been in under 6.3 seconds)." Nope, I'm exactly the same. I've learned to live with the repercussions of my rage. =) Mrs. Doubtfire scene! Sounds great, lol! I hadn't thought of that exactly. This is going to be fun to write. If you haven't already sent me a FB request, do it now, lol. I like being pushed in my writing or just talking to people in general who like DBZ. =) So friend me!

**mali86:** Thanks again!

**kickstartmyhart:** Nope, I just self-published my book, lol. I'm too lazy to deal with asking nicely and being rejected. Oooh, nice guess with the dress! You are very observant of details. :D Chekhov! I like hearing names of legendary writers in my reviews, lol. I liked your idea of draining Zvarin's blood, lol. Yes, he will be a complex person to kill. I've got a great plan for it! I mean, if he's killed at all. *tries to be suspenseful*

**suzki:** Looll, but Goten is such a cute immature loser. XD Awww, yeah, I guess their families are just blaming the disappearing act of the girls on the boys pissing them off. Sorry you miss the girls! Interesting question about whether Bra is falling for her brother too. Glad you liked the mention of Marron being married to the monster Buu. Thank you for your review! Can't wait to hear if you liked this one!

**InLoveWithALavenderHairedMan: **Yes! I'm glad you think I achieved disturbing and sexy, lol. I'm kind of scared too, about Trunks and Goten's reactions… and I KNOW what's going to happen, lol. Thanks for the comments on Dende! I loved your review, thank you so much for the feedback!

**Xxsnow-pixiexX : **I'm delighted you found Vegeta's lines hilarious! I actually had most of those written months and months ago, just saving them for this moment. Thank you for your mention of Dende! I'm sooo happy to have your feedback!

**StarlitFire:** Thanks!

**Leecassi:** Awww, your review was lovely! It makes me feel so warm and fuzzy to know that I made you laugh! I know, Para's trauma was really rough, I don't think being a saiyan prepares you for that kind of thing. Actually, it might be worse because you're used to being on top of the world, and untouchable! Thank you so much for your feedback, it's always great to hear what you think!

**Isis36:** Thank you, thank you! I hope you liked this one too!

**fan:** I appreciate your review!

**Arian:** Don't worry, life gets busy! I'm sorry for not making my deadline of publishing by December. I really hope you get a chance to read this chapter and I can't wait to hear what you think of it. Take care of yourself, and thank you so much for all of your support and encouragement!

**dbzchic62789:** *kisses* This chapter wouldn't be here, right now, if it weren't for you. Thanks a million! =)

* * *

This story is almost a year old, and I'm really proud of it so far. I'm proud of myself for keeping up momentum.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I love you all for giving me such wonderful feedback on the story, and giving me confidence in myself as a writer. I hope you all have a wonderful December! Come find me on Facebook if you ever want to chat! Hugs and kisses. ~Nadia Scrieva


	23. To Precious Times

_Chapter Twenty-Three: To Precious Times_

Happy belated one year anniversary to this story!

Most of you already know this from Facebook, but I have published a novel called_ Drowning Mermaids_, available from Amazon. If you have difficulty getting into the story, imagine Trevain as Trunks, and his younger brother Callder as Goten. Visola is kind of like Vegeta, while Brynne is very Bulma-like.

God, it's so much more relaxing to write fanfiction than real books. I can use contractions in the narrative and not care. :D

MAJOR SHOUT OUT to Maggie for proofreading this, and for reading my novel Drowning Mermaids and getting her fiance to read it as well, and for leaving reviews on my Amazon site!

Also, HUGE shout out to Melody for reviewing Drowning Mermaids chapter by chapter! I love you! =)

Major thanks as well to Anmylica, to Morgan, and to Holli and Katelyn... everyone who has helped me on DM and offered feedback and encouragement!

I am really thankful to Facebook for helping me to connect with great girls like you. =)

Love you guys lots, and thanks for all your support!

(Sorry for overdosing you on exclamation marks. You may be able to tell I'm in a great mood... and compared with the last chapter you may also be able to tell that I'm bipolar. =D)

-PanHopeNvs/Nadia Scrieva

* * *

"… and we'll implement a training regimen. We'll train together, with Goten. We'll push ourselves to achieve new heights of power, and soon this Zvarin fellow won't seem so tough."

"I don't think you understand just how powerful he really is."

"If it didn't seem like the end of the world, then we wouldn't have anything to work towards together," Trunks said. "Necessity is the mother of invention, and as the ex-president of Capsule Corp., I know that more than anyone. It is only out of true desperation that something great is created. Otherwise we'd all just be comfortable and content."

"This isn't as simple as inventing something new," Para argued, with her arms crossed over her chest as they leisurely flew through the night sky. "Not that inventing is simple…"

"Medea, listen," Trunks said, turning to face her. "When Goku first faced Freiza all those years ago, he had no clue what a Super Saiyan was. He didn't have to know that it was possible in order to be able to achieve it. He didn't even have to imagine that it was possible… he just had to do it. He just had to find a way, and that was the way. We _will _find that way!"

She nodded. She couldn't help but feel a bit reassured by this. _But there's a limit_, she thought to herself. _There's a limit to all power; we're only people, not gods. Hell, there's even a limit to the power of gods!_

Para realized that they were hovering in the sky above her house.

"You should get some rest," he told her gently, squeezing her elbow. "I know it's been a long day for you and we just made it harder…"

"This isn't really my house." She turned to him. "You know that. I just bought it to keep up appearances… to make it look like I was a real person from this timeline."

"I know."

They paused, floating over the small house. Para sighed, feeling a bit sick. Homesick.

"I don't want to spend another night in this cold foreign place," she said to him quietly. "Take me somewhere that actually feels like home."

* * *

She giggled in delight and sat up on him, straddling his hips in her tiny miniskirt.

"Now, maybe you can actually teach me something, Goten."

He felt the blood pumping through his body at an increased rate. His saiyan senses were coming alive, and there was nothing he could do about it. His hair flashed golden.

In a millisecond, Para found herself forced up against a tree so roughly that the bark was scraped right off of it by her skin colliding with it. Her skin was unscathed. She felt Goten's lips on hers and felt him lifting her leg around his waist. She felt his fingers roughly ripping off her miniskirt before he began grinding his body against hers.

She moaned, clinging to him. She was swept away in the aura of yearning around him. She wrapped both of her arms around his neck as she took his bottom lip between her teeth and tugged on it. Goten responded with a low growl in his throat as he lifted her other leg so that both of her legs and arms were wrapped around him. He had one hand beneath her bottom, supporting her against the tree, while his other hand firmly massaged her breast.

He shoved his hips against her until she was whimpering with pleasure. She could feel the heat of his hardness throbbing right through his gi. She could feel the moisture that had begun to leak from his erection as it soaked through the fabric which divided them. Or was that moisture her own? She wantonly circled her hips against him to angle her body so that he was rubbing against the right spot. Her head rolled back against the tree as she gasped with pleasure.

"Are you with him right now?" Goten asked angrily, tangling his fingers into her hair as he gripped the back of her head.

She looked into his dark jade eyes with surprise. She suddenly felt a tremor of fear. This was not her sweet Goten. He was breathing heavily, and she could smell the stench of cigarettes coming forth from deep in his lungs.

"Are you with him!" he demanded, putting his face so close to hers that his nose crushed into her nose.

"Yes," she said softly.

"Good."

Goten growled before he smashed his mouth into her. He slammed his hips against her more forcefully than before. The tree she was leaning against cracked and broke, and they both fell to the ground with it. Goten fell on top of her, and he pushed the fallen trunk of the tree aside angrily. Para reached up and she ripped Goten's gi off of his body so that she could run her hands over his warm skin.

"Are you distracted?" he asked her.

"What?" she murmured against his mouth.

"The half of you that's with Trunks—is she distracted by this?"

"Yes."

Goten smiled victoriously before placing his lips on her neck. He nibbled gently on her skin, as he continued to tease her body by rubbing his now naked erection over her opening. "Turn over," he commanded. "I want you from behind."

Her body was already moving to comply to this before she stopped herself. She swallowed, remembering who she was quite suddenly.

"Goten, are you doing this because you want to be with me, or because you want to hurt Trunks?"

"What about you, Medea? What am I? A second helping? A back-up plan? Is he not man enough for you?"

"No, Goten…" she said helplessly. "I genuinely want you."

"And I get only half of you!" he shouted, slamming his hand into the ground beside her head. "Don't I deserve more than that!"

"Do you even want as much as that!" she shouted back at him, restraining herself from hitting him in the face. "I was just a fucking game between you two! Do you think I didn't know? Do you think I didn't know that I was sport!"

"That was before…"

"Before you knew I was saiyan," she answered bitterly. "Before you knew that we could have wild, uninhibited saiyan sex together. Now you're back in the game."

"That's not it at all!" he shouted. "I have wanted you from the first moment I saw you. Why do you think I gave you those stupid training sessions? I just wanted to _see_ you. Even though you chose him!"

"You could have had me if you really wanted," she told him softly. "You just surrendered me. Why did you back down, Goten?"

He grumbled softly to himself as he rolled off of her. He ripped at the grass.

"You were pursuing me for a brief time," she said. "Why did you change your mind?"

"Because… because Trunks wanted you too. He was pretty depressed, and I thought being with you would cheer him up. He needed someone."

"And you were just Mr. Well-Adjusted who didn't need anyone? You weren't depressed? You weren't so miserable you started smoking? Do you always sacrifice yourself so that he can be happy?"

Goten mumbled incoherently again.

"And what about me?" she asked. "Don't I get any say in the matter? Doesn't it matter who I would have chosen?

"Who would you have chosen?" Goten asked.

"That's a secret," she said

"No one ever tells me secrets," Goten said with a frown.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I need a cigarette," he mumbled.

"Tell me, Goten."

"People just think that because I seem carefree that I'm not trustworthy. It's not true."

She crawled over him, her naked body brushing against his. She pressed her lips to his neck. "I'll tell you all of my secrets, Goten."

"Then tell me who you are."

She smiled, letting her tongue dart out to trace along his neck. "Mmmm. Not that one."

"I need to know," he demanded. He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her against him. "I need to know who you are, and I want all of you. Leave Trunks, and come stay here with me."

"So you want all of me. Just for tonight?" she asked, sliding her hands down over his back.

"I want all of you, to keep. I want you to be mine. I want to be with you."

"You want to be with me?" she whispered against his mouth. Images suddenly flashed through her mind of him in the shower stall_. "Bra. It's over between us. I'm leaving you." _The words hit her like a punch to the gut, and tears pricked the back of her eyes.

"Yeah, Goten. You're only saying that because you want to fuck me really badly right now."

"No, Medea…" he tried to hold her closer, to reassure her, but his arms were suddenly encircling only emptiness and air. Her image had faded away. Her body had re-joined with itself, and the woman he had been with was the secondary copy. The original version was with Trunks.

Goten slammed his fist into the grass. This did not satisfy him. He yelled and hurled a ki blast into the forest, causing the trees to burn.

Innocently sleeping birds scattered in a flutter of fear.

* * *

Trunks woke up to an unfamiliar weight against his shoulder.

He looked down to see the sleeping woman, lying on his arm. He smiled at the giant, frizzy tangle of deep blue hair. He brushed her hair away from her cheek lightly, not wishing to wake her up. He examined her features, recognizing her saiyan heritage for the first time. He knew that it was what had attracted him to her in the first place, although he hadn't known it. He smiled, placing a kiss on Medea's forehead.

He felt like a very lucky man.

Something in the peaceful curve of her closed eyelids stirred his memory.

_Trunks was finally able to study._

_His little sister had just fallen asleep a few feet away from him on the carpet. She had been yawning for about an hour as she talked to her dolls in a quiet voice, and now she was peacefully slumbering with a half-naked doll in her hand. After trying at least ten different blouses, she had gotten exhausted with the difficult task of choosing the perfectly coordinated outfit for her doll to wear to the café on a date with a handsome male doll. (The café was an imagined space underneath the coffee table.)_

_He looked back down to the equations on his notebook. Kami, how he hated economics. Did he really have to get an MBA while working at Capsule Corp. at the same time? No kids were under this kind of pressure._

_A loud crash startled him in the middle of writing the number "2" and his pencil broke. The noise had come from the kitchen._

"_Kami, Pan!" he said in annoyance to the wall separating the family room from the kitchen. "Can you keep it down? Bra just fell asleep!"_

"_Sorry!" came the guilty reply._

_He looked back to his sister who had hardly stirred at the noise. He pulled his glasses off and began to polish them with his t-shirt. He sighed. "Why do I have to take care of the rugrats?" he muttered to himself._

"_I heard that! Saiyan hearing, you dolt!" Pan shouted from the kitchen. "Trunks, I'm six! I am not a rugrat!"_

"_Keep your voice down, Pan!" he responded in a hushed whisper._

"_Fine," she grumbled._

_Trunks placed his glasses back on his nose. He returned to his equation, and picked up a new, un-broken pencil which was close at hand. He finished drawing the number "2." He was beginning on the next number, which was "3", when there was another crash from the kitchen._

"_Pan Son!" he almost shouted. The second pencil had snapped in his hand in as many minutes. He had no idea why he was so tense and jumpy. Probably the stress of exams coming up, along with his nerve-wracking duties at Capsule Corp. He had not had a moment's rest since he turned eighteen. Having to babysit his kid sister and her troublesome friend didn't help either._

_Removing his glasses, Trunks stood up from the sofa, and put his books down. He headed into the kitchen, where Pan was sitting on the counter and fiddling with ice cubes and a bottle of whiskey._

"_What the hell, Pan? You're not allowed to drink that!"_

"_Why not! Your mom always says to consider this as my home too and help myself to anything. So there!" She stuck her tongue out of him and proceeded to take a gulp of the drink defiantly. She immediately screwed up her face in disgust._

"_Panny, she didn't mean hard liquor," Trunks said, sighing and crossing the room. He took the glass from her and emptied the contents into the sink. He put the cap back on the bottle._

"_Why not, Trunks? That's not fair. You're a meanie. Uncle Goten calls it his 'happy juice' and says it makes him feel better when he's sad." She dangled her legs off the side of the counter, swinging them back and forth rhythmically._

_Trunks caught her little legs in his hands to stop their kicking motions before he moved to stand in front of her. He placed his hands on the counter on either side of her little body. "Are you sad, Panny? Is that why you wanted to drink the 'happy juice?'"_

"_Yeah," she said, looking up at him with big sad brown eyes. "Uncle Goten says…"_

"_If you're such a big girl, why are you listening to Goten? Don't you know that he's a dummy?"_

_Pan giggled a little at this. Then her face became dour. She pushed herself off the counter and did a flip over his head to land on her feet behind him. "What do you care anyway, Trunks? You're just babysitting me because my mom and dad are sick of having me around."_

_He turned around to face her. "Is that what this is about? You think your parents don't love you? Panny! Gohan and Videl just need some time to relax and be together and… er, you know. To do grown up things. Without you poking your nose into their business. Didn't Gohan leave you with some picture books to color or something?"_

"_Uh huh." She turned around and stomped out of the kitchen. "Gosh! You let Bra sleep on the floor! What kind of a brother are you!"_

"_I've been kind of busy trying to finish an assignment for school…"_

"_It's okay," she said, walking over to Bra and picking the sleeping girl up with one hand. Bra still clutched the doll tightly against her. "I'll put her to bed, and then I'll go to sleep too."_

"_Thanks, Panny," Trunks said with relief. "Sorry I yelled at you, but you really shouldn't be drinking that bad stuff. It's not for kids."_

"_Uh huh," she said, as she flew up the stairs to deposit Bra in bed._

_Trunks smiled to himself as he sat down and retrieved his glasses. She wasn't such a bad kid when she was agreeable._

"_Happy juice," he muttered to himself as he placed his glasses back on his face. "Goten is such a dork. I can't believe he said that to her!"_

_He was just about to begin working on the economics problem again when the phone beside him rang and he jumped three feet up into the air. He grabbed the receiver violently._

"_Briefs' residence!" he said with annoyance._

"_Yes, Trunks—this is Gohan. Why aren't you watching my daughter like you're supposed to?"_

"_Gohan, she just went upstairs to bed with Bra…"_

"_It doesn't feel like her ki is in your house."_

_Trunks cursed. "I'll take care of it, Gohan. You just enjoy your evening." Trunks hung up the receiver before ripping his glasses off his face. He flew up the stairs, and saw that his sister was tucked into bed, peacefully sleeping with her dolly. Pan had even put a pillow beside Bra under the blanket to give the impression that she was there too. He sighed._

_He leaned over and kissed Bra on the forehead. "You're such a good girl, Bra-chan," he whispered. "Why can't Panny be more like you?" With that, he flew down the stairs and out the front door. Once he was in the skies, he searched for Pan's ki. To his frustration, he found that she had gotten really great at keeping it low; even while flying._

_Eventually, though, he sensed her. She was too powerful to blend in with the rest of people in the world; even at six years old. He powered up and took off in the direction of her flight._

_He was somewhere over India before he caught up with her. "Why are you running away, Pan? Your dad is going to kill me!" He grabbed her around the waist, and turned back towards Japan._

"_No!" she screamed, hitting him fiercely, her eyes immediately filling with tears. "Let me go! Let me go!"_

_Trunks was surprised with the fact that her tiny fists colliding with his chest actually hurt. She was a little fireball of energy, and determination was painted all over her face. He held her more tightly to pin her arms to her sides, and her knee hit him in his groin. He winced._

"_Pan," he growled in warning. "Quiet down and stop misbehaving! Do you want me to tell your dad you were drinking whiskey? He wouldn't be happy about that, would he?"_

"_I don't care! I hate you! I hate you!" she sobbed. "I just wanted to see my grandpa!"_

_Trunks stopped flying abruptly. He held Pan at an arm's length. "Is that where you were headed?"_

_She nodded through her tears._

"_Is that why you were sad?" he asked, finally understanding. "That's why you tried to drink the 'happy juice?'"_

_She nodded again._

"_Aw, Panny," he said, pulling her into a hug. "Goku's training with Uub… it's best if we don't bother him too much."_

"_But it's been so long," she said. "What if he forgets what I look like? What if he forgets all about me?"_

"_Are you kidding?" Trunks said, pulling away from her. He ran his thumb over the curve of her cheek. "How could Goku forget an adorable face like…"_

Trunks abruptly stopped the memory.

It could have gone on playing like a movie in his brain. He could have relived tucking Pan into bed beside his sister, and telling her that it was all going to be okay. Smiling down at the two adorable little girls before heading back to his economics assignment. Struggling to focus on his schoolwork with thoughts of Pan's sadness invading his mind. But he didn't. He didn't feel the need to live in his memories of Pan any longer. Pan was his past. He looked down at the lovely woman in his arms.

Medea, who had travelled back to him from the future, was his future.

He closed his eyes and sighed in contentment. He'd had a rough time lately, but he felt like things were about to calm down. Things were about to get better.

Para had stirred to consciousness by Trunks brushing her hair and kissing her forehead. Her first thought was that she wasn't sure whose body she was in. Her second thought was a panicked awareness that she was fused, and wondering how much time she had left.

Then she began to relax, and listen to Trunks' thoughts. What woman wouldn't enjoy the pleasure of lying in bed with the man she loved and listening to his every thought? Knowing his deepest wishes and desires? Then again, perhaps knowing was not healthy. Para saw the memory begin—a memory she only vaguely recalled since it was from so long ago and she had been so young. She had wanted to see what happened, but was surprised and disappointed when Trunks abruptly stopped his train of thought.

_Pan is my past. Medea is my future._

She felt a bit sick. Trunks didn't even want to remember her.

Although it was exactly what she had intended, it still hurt. _So the reason that he loved me and fought for me was because I was the only available super saiyan. Because I was physically the strongest woman available. Now that I've been dethroned and replaced by a stronger woman… Pan has been just as easily replaced in his heart._

_I'm not real—I am hypothetical. But if I were real—if there was, hypothetically, a girl stronger than me somewhere out there… she would win. She could take him from me. His heart is fickle. At least I know this now. Thanks for the telepathy, Bra…_

Her first urge was to feel miserable and depressed about this, but her second urge was stronger. She grew angry.

_This is why I'm here. I'm here to teach him a lesson. To get close to him, and then to hurt him in unimaginable ways, just like he did to me. Do it, Trunks. Base your whole world and all your happiness on your connection with me. Love me thoroughly, love me deeply, the same way that I loved you! You're in love with a hypothetical situation. No—you're in love with the worst case scenario._

Trunks' alarm rang.

He groaned and shifted in bed to reach for his phone. Para pretended that this was only just waking her.

"I've got to go to work," he groaned. "Goten and I are teaching at the school."

"Mmmmm," she mumbled, sleepily. She propped herself up onto a pillow and yawned as she watched him get dressed.

A knock sounded on the door, and before either of them could answer it, Bulma had pushed the door open and was poking her head into the room.

"Trunks, what do you want for breakf…. oh… hello, dear."

"Hi," Para said, massively uncomfortable. She pulled the blanket up under her chin. She was wearing one of Trunks' old t-shirts, and she knew the way the situation looked. Bulma's gaze was as judgemental as any mother's would be. It felt even worse than it looked. She felt like her mother was walking in on her after she'd slept with her brother!

"Would you like to join us for breakfast, dear?" Bulma asked kindly.

Para swallowed. Breakfast! With Vegeta there, and even more judgemental looks! She would never be able to get through the meal. She would be able to hear everyone's awful thoughts about her. This was humiliating. This was beyond…

"Is that bacon I smell?" Para asked, her nose twitching. She forgot all about her modesty as she jumped out of bed eagerly, with only the thought of food on her mind.

* * *

"It is time for us to find the girls," Vegeta demanded. He pointed at Para. "You—use your future technology to override whatever technology Bra is using to hide her ki. Find my daughter, and find Pan at once."

"I'll try my best," Para said, chomping on a piece of sausage blissfully. She had generous helpings of both sausage and bacon on her plate.

"If you don't, I will torture the blonde girl; the Android's daughter."

"Hmm?" Para said, barely looking up from her sausage. She knew her father and his idle threats quite well. "Why would you do that?"

"She has her uses. First of all, women are foolish and they confide in other women. Second, she is a detective, which means that she is capable of finding things, and finding people. She knew the truth about you when none of us did, so it stands to reason that she knows the truth about where Pan and Bra are."

"Don't bother looking for the girls, dear," Bulma said, leaning her chin on the palm of her hand with a sigh. "If Bra doesn't want to be found, it's totally hopeless."

"Ignore the woman! I insist you search."

"Aw, Veggie. Do you remember when Bra decided to work on her first invention?" Bulma turned to Para, excited for the opportunity to brag about her daughter. "I had Vegeta and Trunks comb practically every shopping mall on the planet for a week. We couldn't find her. She was hiding her ki with electronic devices."

"Yeah," Trunks added, pausing in his ravenous eating. "We were unable to find my sister... and that was _before_ she had serious financial resources of her own."

"My smart girl can do anything she wants—why, if she decided to, she could probably make herself invisible. She could be right in this very room, under our noses, and we wouldn't even know it. Bra's that creative and that clever."

Vegeta rolled his eyes.

Para nervously cleared her throat. "Wow, she sounds like a total genius. Not that I'm surprised. She does even more amazing things in the future, of course, but I can't tell you about them or it would change history, etcetera... this bacon is great!"

"Look, I understand my daughter disappearing," Vegeta said, putting his fork down for a moment. "Bra is like that—but what about Pan?"

"Can we please _not_ talk about her?" Trunks asked.

"What about Panny, dear?" Bulma asked, ignoring her son. "She's never been particularly sociable. She keeps to herself a great deal. We hardly saw her when she was in college…"

"I am not referring to her social skills, woman. I could care less about that! Pan is drawn to danger like a magnet. Whenever my ki has risen slightly more than normal, Pan was the first to come running and looking for a fight. After the kids went on the Grand Tour and Trunks and Pan returned to find us possessed… the girl was paranoid for years about something going wrong."

"I remember that," Bulma said.

"When Kakkarot left, she became even more sensitive to fluctuations in any of us—she teleported out of classrooms and lectures. It's a wonder she was able to concentrate at all on her studies. It got to the point I had to tell her: 'Look, girl. There is no more danger. A man has a right to raise his ki if he gets constipated, does he not?'"

"You really did need more fibre in your diet, darling," Bulma said with a sympathetic nod. "So do you really think we should be concerned about the girls?"

"No," Trunks said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Pan is probably perfectly fine. She'll show up when she wants to. When she's done with being a selfish brat. Bra on the other hand… well, I'll try to get in touch with her and invite her out for lunch sometime."

"That sounds great, Trunks," Bulma said with a smile. "So what's everyone going to be doing today? Trunks is heading to work at the dojo I suppose, but what about you, Medea? You seem awfully quiet."

"Oh… ah, well. I'm going to do the logical thing. I'll head to the bank and invest all my money into penny stocks which I know are going to explode in the next year or so," she said cheerfully.

"Fun!" Bulma said. "And you, Vegeta?"

"I'm going to test the strength of Gohan and Uub," Vegeta said, with his mouth full. "And call them lots of names when they prove how weak they are."

"But don't you think that's kind of… predictable?" Para suggested.

"My fighting technique is never predictable!" Vegeta roared, as pieces of omelet were launched from his mouth. "Retract that insult immediately!"

"Not your fighting technique," Para said, thankful to be out of range of the chewed-up egg shower. "Your personality. You know, in the future when you die, it's because you are so stubborn and set in your ways. But I guess it's true that you can't teach a dog new tricks…"

"Are you calling me a _DOG?_" he bellowed.

"Calm down. I just mean that everyone expects you to call them names… maybe if you said nice things to them it would really throw them off and confuse them."

"Nice… things?" Vegeta asked in confusion.

"Yes, like… punch Gohan in the face and then tell him you admire his intellect and physique. While you're beating the crap out of Uub, you can tell him you find his mohawk very fashionable. Trust me, they'll be scared shitless."

"Nice… things," Vegeta repeated, considering this unusual advice.

* * *

Marron gripped the pink phone tightly in her hand. It was pressed so tightly against her face that she knew it was going to leave an impression on her cheek.

"I won't take no for an answer, Para," Marron was saying firmly. "You and I need to meet up for cocktails pronto. We need to talk about this man."

A sigh filtered through the line before a pause. "Mar, there's really nothing to talk about…"

"Don't lie to me! Do you think I'm an idiot or a complete stranger? I've never seen you like that…"

"Marron, really, there's nothing wrong."

"Please, sweetie. Para, you've got…" Marron was startled when Uub walked into the room. "Para-noia! You're just extremely paranoid. Trust me—your husband is not cheating on you. Ricardo is a good man!"

"What?" came the confused voice from the phone.

"Just a minute, sweetie." Marron covered the phone with her hand and whispered to Uub. "It's just one of my old clients. She wants me to investigate her husband for her… again! She's convinced that he's cheating, but he just plays a lot of golf."

"Golf," said Uub, nodding as he pulled on his training gi. "That's a good game. Why don't you help her out, Mar? I won't be able to work for a while, so maybe the extra money could come in handy."

Marron nodded and whispered, "That's a good idea. I'll have mom look after the kids."

Uub smiled and moved to give Marron a swift kiss, "Love you, hun."

"Love you too!" Marron said, returning the phone to her ear as Uub left the room. "So, my dear, it looks like I may be able to do some investigating into Ricardo's extracurricular activities after all."

"Oh, thank you, thank you! I swear that Ricardo's not just playing golf." Para said, trying to imitate a posh accent. "He's also playing with the maid, and the babysitter, and his secretary, and…"

"Darling, when he's not playing golf, he plays poker and billiards!" Marron responded with a grin. "Ricardo loves you, he would never do anything to hurt you!"

"I need proof!" Para demanded, trying to conceal a giggle. "If he's cheating, I'm exacting revenge on him with the gardener!"

"So, we'll discuss this further over drinks at 6pm?" Marron said firmly, clearly no longer talking about Ricardo.

Para sighed, "Fine, if you really want to."

"But I'd like to know right now how you're…" Marron noticed her daughters running by her bedroom door, and she lowered her voice. "How are you still _keeping together_?"

"I'll tell you later," Para said quietly.

"No, because—I know it's been so hard on you, and I just don't know how refrain from _falling to pieces_ sometimes, you know what I mean?" Marron asked inquisitively.

"Well," said Para, with a cheerful note in her voice, "sometimes I just look at the jewels he gave me and I remember that he used to care! Ah, Ricardo… if I didn't have these jewels, why, I would just be _torn apart_."

"Jewels?" Marron asked. "Explain!"

"Later, Mar. You know never to trust that any phone line is safe. Meet you at… The Underground at 6?"

"Okay, then. If the suspense doesn't kill me first."

* * *

_It might be good to talk to her about Zvarin, _Para thought to herself as she strolled down the sidewalk.

She had just tossed her phone back into her purse when it begun to vibrate again. _What does Marron want now? _She sighed and answered it absent-mindedly.

"Yeah?" she asked.

A man's voice responded. "Hello… er, Pan? This is Michael."

Para inwardly swore at the stupid mistake of having picked up Pan's phone. She stomped her foot and caused a small crack in the pavement.

"Pan? Are you okay? I heard a weird noise… this is Michael… Dr. Michael Winters from work?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but then remembered that she wasn't herself. She made a mental note to adjust Pan and Bra's phones so that they would transmit their respective voices.

"Pan? I know you said you couldn't work for a while… but I need to ask you if you could please reconsider, at least just for today—as a personal favor to me? Things are really bad here. We could use your help in the ER…"

Para dug in her purse, and finding a bit of plastic from a candy wrapper, she began to crinkle it up against her cell phone. "Dr. Winters?"

"Pan? Pan, can you hear me?"

"Dr. Winters, you're breaking up… the reception is shit…"

"Pan?"

She closed the phone and put it in her purse. She continued walking.

Abruptly, she stopped. She cursed again, this time out loud. The only times she had _ever _been asked to help out in the ER were in extreme cases. Situations where she had really been needed. She looked down at her hands. _As long as these don't start shaking on me again…_

She pulled out her Para-phone and dialled Dr. Winters.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hello, is this Dr. Winters?" Para asked.

"Yes… Pan, is that you?"

"No, sorry," she answered. "_Dr. Son_ is indisposed; she's out of the country at the moment. I'm a friend of hers from school, also a doctor—she just texted me and told me about your predicament and asked me if I could help out. Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes… ahh, well. I'm not sure, ma'am," Dr. Winters responded sceptically. "We've got a bit of an emergency on our hands… we need Dr. Son _specifically_ to perform a surgery. It's very high risk and I don't trust anyone else doing it. Please, please if you can somehow convince Pan to take the first flight back to Japan…"

"I can assure you that I am extremely skilled, and there is no procedure that Dr. Son can perform which I cannot. I studied and practiced in England, and I come highly recommended—even from Dr. Son herself."

"Fine, then. At this point we're desperate. How soon can you be here, Doctor… sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Meadows. I'm on my way, I'll be there in a few."

* * *

Vegeta sat on a rock, contemplating the types of things which only Vegeta would contemplate. (Anyone who dares to postulate just what on earth Vegeta would contemplate is, quite simply, wrong.)

Uub landed in front of Vegeta, and immediately began apologizing. "Sorry I'm late, Vegeta. You know how it is. The wife, the kids…"

Vegeta grunted. "Where's the other one?"

"I passed by Gohan's and he said he would be a few minutes late. He's examining the katchin metal from those earrings that the girl gave to…"

"Jewelry?" Vegeta said slowly. "I called an important training session, and Gohan is playing with jewelry?"

"It's an extremely rare and dense metal…"

"Playing with women's accessories is not going to increase our strength," Vegeta fumed. "That foolish idiot…"

"If I recall correctly, earrings have helped to save the world before. Maybe knowledge of this katchin metal could somehow help…"

"Just shut up," Vegeta said with annoyance. He crossed his arms and continued to sit on his rock.

Uub cleared his throat. "Um, okay. So I guess we'll just wait for Gohan then?"

Vegeta grunted assent. Uub found a rock of his own to sit on nearby, but he was conscious of the fact that his style of sitting was not quite as stylish as Vegeta's. Uub felt rather insecure.

Vegeta was just one of those guys who really knew how to sit on a rock.

After a long silence, Uub began to fidget uncomfortably. "So, how's your day been?" Uub asked.

"Silence!" Vegeta said. "I do not wish to converse with a lower life form like you!"

"Racist," Uub mumbled.

"What did you call me?" Vegeta snarled, looking up from his rock.

"Oh… it was just a joke, really," Uub explained, lifting both hands in a gesture of peace. "You know, because on Earth people use the word 'racist' to mean disliking people of different skin colors, but technically we're all just the 'human race' so it's not really the correct term, but it's actually correct for you, since you're a saiyan supremacist and…"

Uub saw that Vegeta was growing angrier by the second, and that a vein was throbbing in his forehead. "Never mind," Uub mumbled. "I was just trying to make conversation."

"You are pathe…" Vegeta trailed off mid-word. "You are disg…" He stopped himself again. Predictable. What should he say? Disgusting? Disgraceful? "You are… disguised as a warrior, but truly you have the impressive intellect of a scholar."

Uub's eyebrows lifted quite high in surprise. Then they sunk all the way down again in a frown. He turned to look behind him to make sure than no one else was there whom Vegeta could be speaking to. There wasn't anyone. He looked back to Vegeta in confusion. Had the man just complimented him?

"So, you have offspring," Vegeta said, nodding. "That's good."

"I do!" Uub said, pleasantly surprised that Vegeta had noticed. "I've had them for a while now. Well, most of them."

"I should have mentioned it sooner," Vegeta said. "I think it's good… to have offspring."

"Thanks!" Uub was pretty excited. It felt like they were having a real conversation. Not just the usual right-to-business, being-commanded-around, type of thing they usually had. It was special. He felt like they were really bonding.

"The boy is strong," Vegeta remarked. "He was born with good ki."

"I know! He's going to be a tough little guy. You will help train him, won't you, Vegeta?"

Vegeta grunted. "It does not matter. The second girl will be stronger. Her personality is better suited to being a fighter."

Uub was blown away. He could not believe Vegeta had paid enough attention to his children to be able to remark on their personalities. A huge smile came to his face. "Do you think so? Nyssa is pretty special."

"It is not enough to be born with natural talent; one must also have passion, and a strong work ethic. Your second daughter reminds me of Pan. She will be a great fighter."

Uub could not rip the silly grin from his face. He was still grinning when Gohan arrived.

"Sorry for the delay, guys," Gohan said with a sigh. "I was working really hard on figuring out those earrings, but no method I use will penetrate the material…"

"It is perfectly forgivable that you are late, Gohan," Vegeta said slowly. "There are more important things in the world than fighting."

Gohan stared at Vegeta for a few seconds, before looking to Uub curiously. "Is he possessed?"

"I was beginning to wonder."

"I've just been having a wonderful day," Vegeta said, raising himself from the rock. "I had omelets. My loving wife prepared them for me."

"Gee, that's swell, Vegeta," Gohan said, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Are you sure you're not possessed?"

"Gohan, your physique is spectacular. Have you lost weight?"

"Uhh…"

Gohan looked down at his stomach anxiously, and didn't notice the ki blast that was headed towards him.

Vegeta turned towards Uub. "I see that you are wearing your mowhawk brushed slightly to the side instead of directly forward. It is very becoming to the shape of your face."

"Wha…" Uub was extremely confused, and while raising a hand to his hair to try and remember how he had styled it, he didn't notice Vegeta phasing behind him to deliver an attack.

"Also, the colors of your garments are very flattering to your complexion. You think that I don't notice these things, but I do."

This continued, and before long, Gohan and Uub were both on the floor, groaning.

Vegeta smiled smugly as he stood over both men victoriously.

"I think you have both learned important lessons today. Expect the unexpected, and don't get distracted by foolish minutiae. Are you _women_? A few compliments and you grow vaginas? Pathetic. Disgusting! Deplorable!"

Vegeta left both men on the floor, but as he flew away he couldn't help thinking to himself that Trunks' girlfriend was one of the most interesting and intelligent fighters he had ever known.

"She's like Kakkarot with a brain," he mused.

* * *

"Dr. Meadows, I simply can't believe it. You saved that man's life! What an awful accident… they really need to improve safety around construction sites," Dr. Winters was rambling. "Chunks of metal driven into his skull… chunks of metal! I've never seen a more gruesome case…"

"Thanks," she answered, as she exited the room. The surgery had been a difficult one—if she hadn't been able to pinch and break metal with only her fingertips, it would have been almost impossible. She had had to leave several pieces within the man's brain—removing them would have caused irreparable brain damage. The man would live—hopefully he would recover from his coma and regain most of his motor skills with time.

"If you want me to be honest… I didn't even think that Pan could have successfully managed that surgery."

Para nearly snapped at the doctor to defend herself, but she thought better of it. She just shrugged. "Sure."

"You're incredibly skilled. And beautiful as well! I thought Pan was the prettiest lady doctor I'd ever seen, but you… Medea. May I call you Medea?"

"No," Para answered, taking off her latex gloves.

"Would you like to go out for dinner with me to celebrate this successful operation?"

"No," Para answered, as she poured antibacterial soap on her hands and began to scrub them meticulously.

"Jesus, are all of you female doctors like this? So fucking uptight?" Dr. Winters asked angrily.

"Yes," Para said, as she washed the soap off her hands. This was her normal after-surgery routine with Dr. Winters. She had almost missed giving him regular rejections. She'd missed how annoying he was. It was good to be back at work.

"Well, Medea…"

"Dr. Meadows," she corrected, removing her surgical mask.

"Yes, yes, of course, Medea. I was wondering if you'd like to consider having a permanent position on our staff? Pan left a pretty huge gaping hole in our staff, and in my heart, when she left… I'm wondering if you could take her place."

_He's offering me my old job?_

"Please say yes, Medea. We really need the help around here, along with another beautiful face."

Para rolled her eyes. She removed the bouffant cap which covered her hair which she had gathered into a tight bun. _Should I consider it? I'm not really doing much these days other than nearly getting raped by aliens, dating my brother, and almost having sex with my uncle. Maybe I should have a little sacred section of my life where I do something good for society._

_But do I have time to work if I'm also going to train to prepare for Zvarin?_

"Medea, you could save hundreds of lives. I don't know anyone else who could have performed that operation. I really need a woman like you who I can count on. I need someone who is exceptionally intelligent and gifted."

She considered it while she reached up and unfastened her hair from its bun. She thought of her grandmother and how happy Chi-Chi had been about her job… she had basically done it all just for her. When Goku left, there had been precious few sources of happiness for Chi-Chi other than the success of her children and grandchildren. Para combed her fingers through her hair to arrange the indigo tendrils. Endless, endless years of school. She'd had to do it.

It wasn't as if Goten was going to pass the bar anytime soon.

Now, of course, it didn't really matter. If she took the position as Medea Meadows, Chi-Chi wouldn't know that it was her. She could spend all her days relaxing on the beach if she wanted to. But she didn't want to. It would still make her happy to know that at least a few of her actions were ones that her family approved of. A very scant few…

Dr. Winters continued trying to persuade her. "I know… I know, 'gifted' is a bit of a idealistic term to use. This job is supposed to be all studying and experience, but look, Medea… I've interviewed dozens of applicants. I've hired so many people, and watched them become nervous wrecks in the operating room. I really believe there's some natural talent for this… some innate ability that not everyone has. Pan had it, and you have it—although you are both young, you intuitively know what to do in the worst of situations."

Para had been removing her scrubs, but she paused in the middle of the motion to scan Michael's face. He was serious. She felt a bit moved by his words, and deeply flattered. She continued to slip the oversized powder-blue shirt off her head, revealing her fitted blouse underneath.

"Please, Medea."

She bit her lip, slipping the blue drawstring pants off, revealing her designer jeans underneath.

"Medea… there's some kind of knowledge that you won't find in the textbooks, and that's the most precious and rare kind. I need you to accept this job."

She nodded and shrugged. "Okay."

"Really?" he almost squealed in excitement.

"Sure, Winters." She reached out and hit him lightly in the shoulder, giving him a small grin. "Sign me on for part time."

She turned and walked away.

Michael Winters winced and rubbed his shoulder. He watched her retreating form appreciatively.

"What a woman!"

* * *

"Yes, the operation sounds awesome. But are you sure that it's safe for you to stay fused for so long? I really think you should separate, sweetie..."

"Maybe. But Marron, it was so fun and interesting! I got to go to Pan's work and poke around in people's brains! I mean, how awesome is that? It's like every day is 'take your friend to work day' except I get the inside perspective of everything. I get to be _right there!_"

"Yes, yes, you've been going on and on about this brain surgery thing for ten minutes," Marron said, stifling a yawn. "And you've been changing the subject every time I try to bring up the dangers of fusion. Can you get back to Zvarin and the rings? I don't really understand it to be honest."

"Neither do I! But I hardly care. I was looking for a solution for ages, and here it is. And here I am, sitting and having cocktails with you, and not even looking at the clock! WAITER! Another round please!"

"Okay, so this metal mysteriously keeps you together. Is it safe? What is it doing to your body? Are there going to be side effects? What if it damages your health? You've been fused for almost twenty-four consecutive hours. Isn't the scientist in you a little curious about how it works?"

"Well, it's the densest substance in the universe, right?" Para asked. "That's special. Maybe it's some property of the metal itself—but I don't even really know how fusion works. If anything's strange and unexplainable, it's fusion—so this whole thing could just be extraterrestrial magic. Like Dende's healing powers. Zvarin said that Metamoran monks pray over the metal, so… excellent! My cosmopolitan!" Para took the drink from the waiter and tossed it down her throat. "Can you bring me another five of those?"

"Sure, miss," he said, in confusion.

Para smiled at Marron and handed her the virgin daiquiri that she had ordered. Marron took it, a bit suspiciously. "Sweetie, I hate to burst your bubble, but it just seems like you're running from something. Did he…"

Para reached out and put her hand on her friend's arm. "Marron, listen… I don't want to focus on it and get down in the dumps. Can we just try to have a good time, like we used to?"

"We used to have a good time together back when you were two girls and there wasn't the threat of imminent annihilation looming upon us."

Para sighed. "I'm sure you've heard this before, but my dad always tells me this story…"

Marron wanted to ask _"Which Dad?"_ but she trusted she would figure it out from context.

"He said that the right before the battle with Cell… everything looked totally hopeless, but my grandpa took several days off training to relax, to fish, to... uh, have fun with my grandma and accidentally make Goten. On my dad's birthday, my grandpa was sitting by the lake…"

"Yeah, I do know this story," Marron interjected. "My dad tells me all the time too. He said he was freaking out about Cell, and he asked Goku why he was so relaxed. Your grandpa responded: '_I'm not sure if we have what it takes to beat Cell. I have no idea. Only time will tell… but I don't want Gohan and Chi-Chi to worry. I want them to enjoy themselves... these are precious times, Krillin! Being together is everything. That's all that really matters to me right now.'"_

"Yeah," Para said nodding. "So that's where we are now."

Marron sighed. "I guess it's not worth stressing out over too much..." The waiter arrived then with the additional drinks.

"To precious times!" Para said, lifting one of her new martini glasses.

Marron nodded, raising her own drink to clink against Para's. "And being together."

When Para had gulped down all five cosmopolitans, she looked at Marron a bit more seriously. "I think that this might be the one time we can't win, Marron. Our perfect track record can't go on forever. He's going to get exactly what he wants."

"And what does he want?" Marron asked.

Para made a face. "Me, apparently. He wants a powerful wife…"

"I see," said Marron quietly. This added to her feeling that Zvarin had tried to hurt Para in a way that the girl didn't feel comfortable talking about.

"He has powers like you wouldn't believe. He's a fusion of a hundred people, Mar."

"_A hundred people?_" Marron gasped. "Well then, all you have to do is get him to un-fuse and you can defeat him! Even_ I_ could probably kick his ass when he's split apart!"

"I wish it were that easy. He has the metal implanted in his body." Para gestured to the waiter for more drinks. "I have been having strange dreams which come true, and I'm pretty sure of one thing. He's going to win. As much as I don't want to, I'm going to end up marrying Zvarin."

"No way!" Marron shouted, standing up from her stool, and knocking over her drink. "How can you say that? What about Trunks and Goten?"

"Like they care! They don't love me," Para said hopelessly. "They're just soooooo fascinated with Para. And I'm not even real."

"You are real, darling! They are only drawn to you because you are Pan and Bra!" Marron leaned forward and whispered angrily. "They would drop Para in an instant for the real yous!"

"Yeah?" Para bit her lip. She reached for her purse, and rummaged in it for a second. She pulled out her phone, and using her newly-manicured fingers, she entered the password to unlock it. Her fingers were shaking again, she noticed. She pulled up her email inbox, and handed the phone to Marron.

_Hey Medea,  
If you think that I'm just interested in your body, you're wrong.  
You're the only one who listens to me and treats me like an intelligent person.  
You're the only one who has tried to pull me out of this dark downward spiral I'm in.  
This is going to sound ridiculous, but you're closer to me than anyone  
in my life right now, including my mother and my best friend.  
Trunks is a great guy, but… it's killing me that you're with him instead of me.  
Don't let what we could have slip away…  
Goten Son  
P.S. I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you._

"Never felt about anyone…" Marron began in disbelief. She saw the sad smile on Para's face. Marron sighed as she walked around the table to hug her friend. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. I don't know how he can say that…"

Para nodded. "It's okay. It's all part of the plan, anyway." She forced herself to give a small laugh as she returned Marron's hug. "You think that's bad? Wait until you read the one from Trunks!"

"Darling, if times are so precious, is this really what you want to do?" Marron asked with a frown. "These negative emotions aren't healthy. I know you can't be training all the time, or working at the hospital all the time…"

"I'm here with you, Mar. This is me enjoying my life. I'm spending time with my best friend."

"I guess since you absorbed your old best friend, I got a promotion," Marron said with a wink. "Don't swallow me up too, because then it will mean you have a problem… like that Zvarin guy. He sounds like a fusion addict."

"I have enough people inside of me," Para said. "At first it made it easier, and I got a high from it… but now I'm just more confused than before."

"You might want to consider separating soon, sweetie," Marron said firmly. "You have no idea what this is going to do to you."

"I can't do that now." Para looked down at her empty glass. "I can't separate."

Marron nodded, not wanting to force the subject. "Well, I'm always here for you, if you need to talk or hang out, or anything…"

"No, Mar. You have a husband and babies," Para said. "You have your own life… I can't rely on you for everything. All I have left is… revenge."

"That's not true, Para. You have friends and family who love you. Is this revenge really worth it at the cost of your health? At the cost of your identity?"

"Revenge is worth any cost. It's so close I can taste it; it's going to be a masterpiece."

* * *

Yayyy, I finally finished it. It was so hard switching back and forth from my novels to this story. Sorry if it was a bit short, I couldn't include any of the serious action bits in this chapter or it would run on forever. The next one will be a doozie.

* * *

THANK YOU to my awesome reviewers! I live for you guys. No, seriously. My IRL "friends" were talking about having an intervention to get me to stop writing because they're worried I'm going to go broke and lose my house. I was like "!$%^& YOU guys! Thanks for NEVER once reading or remarking on any of my stuff!" I mean, perhaps I'm not good enough to make it, but perhaps I am... they would never know because they don't care to read!

Sorry if these thanks are a bit rushed... I'm trying to get this chappy out as fast as I can before I collapse from exhaustion. :D

**mali86:** Thank you. =D Hope you liked this one.

**nite-fire:** I'm sorry you miss the girls! Thank you for your review!

**famoso:** Thank you so much for your feedback and encouragement!

**Isis36:** So glad that it brightened your day! Thanks for the review!

**Zi-Dawg:** I am really glad you thought the time-travelling speech was such an epic high point! Your words really made my day when I read them. =) I'm very fond of that speech myself.

**KarinKurosakiHitsugaya913:** Thankies so much! =)

**SSJ-Pan-chan:** Thanks! Good luck with your own stories as well. =)

**KayuraK:** Thanks for your lovely, long review! It's great to be in touch with you on Facebook too, now. =) Hahaha… your review made me laugh: "Depending on how things go Para could wind up getting anywhere from half laid to completely laid. I don't see her striking out on both fronts." I love the way you write. *hits self on head* I love the way you write and yet I haven't read and reviewed your stories! I hate myself. Okay, I just went and I started "Yamcha Doesn't Know" and it's official, I love your writing. Your voice is so hard, cynical, and tough. No fluff about it! Once I post this up I will give you some feedback.

**Shahi:** I'm so glad you liked Trunks' speech! Haha, falling in love with Para "legit!" You're right, I didn't have her deal with the molestation… and I was intending to have her do it here, but she kind of just wanted to ignore it. Maybe later. ;)

**Morgan:** Hi Morgan! So, as you know, I have done what you recommended and put my book up for sale at 99 cents. It's really tough marketing though, and my popularity doesn't seem to be increasing too quickly. There's so much competition. I really appreciate the effort you put into painting that image for the cover, and I'm sorry that I was so impatient to wait for you to finish to use it on the cover. I just kind of got swept up in the publishing, but I still hope I may be able to use it. =) Perhaps in the next book? I still think your painting suits the theme way more than what I have.

**Suzki:** Haha, I love how everyone is enjoying the Goten bashing. Which is funny because I totally love Goten, but he's just so much fun to poke fun at. Thanks for your review! =)

**Anmylica:** Thank you soooo much for reviewing the previous chapter! I would have sent you this one too, but I like to try and surprise you sometimes. =) Thanks for all your support, and for helping with my novel! You are awesome!

**PannyChanBriefs:** Sorry about the cliffy! XD Could not resist. Thanks for commenting on Trunks yelling that he's an old pervert, lol. Sorry that you miss the girls, but I LOVED your feedback on the club scene. You summarized it soooo nicely and made me feel quite proud of it. Thanks a million for all your help!

**Xxsnow-pixiexX: **Thanks for your comments on my Vegeta! Hope you liked him in this chapter. :D I want to pinch Goten's butt too. =( Right now. Awww. Thanks for telling me you were touched by the Trunks-speech! Thank you sooo much for your lovely feedback!

**Talk smith kid:** I'm so happy you still think the story will be exciting without Pan and Bra! Hope you liked this chappy too. =)

**manazmama1:** Thank you so much for your kind review! I wish I could update more too. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you for your continued support and feedback!

**ArialChaos:** Thank you for your toast to enjoying life. =) I appreciate your comments on the shower scene as being realistic. Thank you for your feedback on the Trunks-speech, and the club scene, and just the whole revenge-concept in general! Your review was uplifting and wonderful to receive. =)

**Daughter Of Vegeta: **Glad you like it!

**Ikcjjt:** So, your review is one of those that makes me sit back in my chair and sigh and believe a little more that my life is worth it. I can't believe you feel as though you are "witnessing a reality which exists just before the threshold of the computer screen." That's exactly how I feel as I write it. =) I will definitely check out the story you recommended! I have been so busy lately I haven't had a chance to read as much as I would have liked. Your comments on Para were insightful, profound, and heartfelt. You're right that it will take more than dragonballs to fix this damage. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts! It means the world to me.

**Arian:** I'm so sorry that you find it short! I hope this one was a bit longer, and a bit more satisfying. I'm glad it got you feeling a little bit naughty. XD How about this one? Hehehe.

**icequeen89:** Thank you! Glad you like Para!

**Indy:** Thanks for mentioning Pan's job. =) She doesn't really need the money as I explore a bit more here, but very valid points! I definitely had to address that, so thanks for mentioning it.

**PAN TRUNKS LOVER:** Receiving your review was like the all-natural amped up version of Red Bull. Thank you for sending messages as well! When I read these words I felt so deeply happy: The story clearly expresses that you have learnt a great deal from life and can be quite emotional as well as really strong. It can be seen in the way you write." That was such a sweet compliment! I will certainly check out your stories as soon as I get the chance!

* * *

I can't spend the rest of my life being a fan. I need to take the fan out of my fiction. I will always love Akira Toriyama's work, but it's time for me to grow up and shift my focus to my own stuff... I know this is presumptuous, but hell, he is just a person, and so am I... maybe it can be done. I can conceivably see that my novels might eventually dethrone TMTH as my baby, much the same way that TMTH dethroned Loud Silence. I can't tell you how much I loved that story, Loud Silence. I still do, but it is really hard to go back to it now.

I am sure you all understand that I have to find a way to make this a career instead of just a passion. If I had rich parents and money I probably would be able to just focus on this, but alas… I hope some of you will stay with me, and give my original writing a shot outside of Dragonball Z fanfiction. =) Thanks to those that already have!

On the plus side, you can always bug me on FB to work on TMTH. I respond well to pressure, begging, and threats.

By the time I post here again, I will have completed and published my new novel: _Fathoms of Forgiveness_.

Until next time, dear readers!


	24. Getting Too Comfortable

_Chapter 24: Getting Too Comfortable_

Hi, lovely readers! Nice to see you again after soooooo long. (Unless we just chatted on FB like five minutes ago, or unless I met you for lunch yesterday like I did with Holli. ^-^)

First, a message from Mean Nadia: If you're pissed at me for keeping Pan and Bra fused for too long, and don't enjoy reading it, and don't trust that I'm going to use this extended fusion to make the story awesome, then I suggest you go read a story where Pan and Bra are NOT fused. There are lots. *points at the title* This story is about fusion, but there are plenty of other stories that aren't. *points at the X in the top right corner* There might even be plenty of other stories with the same level of quality, research, and intricate planning as this one.

Secondly, a message from Nice, Writer Nadia: There is now a section for fanfics based on my novels! There are not many in there at the moment, but you can check out the Books—Sacred Breath series section of this website if you want to read or write any stories based on my books. :)

Thanks again to everyone who has supported my real-life-writing career! You guys are the absolute best! If you haven't read my novels yet, they are called "Drowning Mermaids" and "Fathoms of Forgiveness" and you should totally check them out. But only if you like my writing. If you're still deciding whether or not you like my writing... well, here's another chapter to help you make your decision! =)

Enjoy! With cuddles,

~Nadia

* * *

_Six months since cocktails with Marron…_

Anyone can tell you that the worst part of revenge is patience. Patience is a bitch.

Somewhere in the middle of waiting; somewhere in the middle of pursuing something full-throttle and letting the meat of betrayal marinate in time like delicious spices, it inevitably happens. A moment of comfort. A moment of happiness. Then you question whether you were thinking correctly to pursue this at all.

This was that moment. Para stood in the toy shop, her eyes scanning the shelves. She looked at all the toys for little girls. There were dollhouses, tea sets, toy stoves, talking dolls, and complicated puzzles.

Trunks came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist lovingly. His hands gently rested on her stomach. "See anything you like, sweetheart?"

"Nothing is good enough," she said softly.

"What did you like to play with when you were little?" he asked her.

"I… don't know." Para's eyebrows grew closer together as she thought about this. She tried and tried to remember what toys she had enjoyed playing with as a child, but for the life of her, nothing came to mind. This had been happening quite a bit lately. Her earliest memories of being Pan and Bra were becoming more and more challenging to access. Chunks of her life were being erased from her mind.

"I guess I was never really little," she answered.

Trunks smiled at this cryptic response. She often spoke like this. He imagined that what she meant was that she had grown up under such stressful, war-torn conditions that she had been robbed of her childhood. Much like Mirai Trunks. He sighed and kissed the top of her head.

"Do you think we should get something else?" he asked her, since none of the toys seemed to be sparking her interest.

A shopkeeper interrupted them then, with a large smile on her face. "Are you folks looking for something for your little one?"

"No way!" Para said with a laugh. "We don't have kids."

"Is there a little one on the way, then?" the shopkeeper prodded with a smile. "Dreaming about the future?"

Para realized how intimately she was standing with Trunks and moved away from him slightly with a furious blush. "Absolutely not!"

"Well, it wouldn't be so bad now, would it?" Trunks asked her with a smile.

Para looked at him with surprise. _Oh, Kami. No. Is he really thinking what I think he's thinking? _She scanned his thoughts._ Dende, is he really thinking what I _hear_ him thinking? Maybe I've crossed wires with someone else._

No—the light in his eyes was unmistakeable. Trunks thinking about how much he wanted a baby. He had been having similar thoughts periodically for some weeks, and they had not become any less surprising to Para. She cleared her throat and turned to the shopkeeper.

"It's not a great idea to have kids right now," Para informed the store clerk. "The world is going to end in about two years."

The shopkeeper began to back away nervously. "Ah, I see you're one of those religious types. Well, good luck with your shopping! Let me know if you need anything. The Jesus dolls are in aisle three."

Trunks smiled and slipped his hand around her lower back. "You know, I was conceived while my dad was training for the Androids. Goten was conceived while Goku was training for the fight with Cell. Sometimes having babies and fighting wars do go together quite well."

"Big difference: Bulma and Chi-Chi weren't fighters. If I power up to Super Saiyan 3 while training, doesn't it seem extremely likely that my energy will kill the baby? There's no way of knowing… it certainly hasn't been done before."

"You could take a break from fighting…"

Para made a face. Like that was going to happen. She held her face contorted in a disgusted expression for several moments until Trunks grinned and pinched her wrinkled nose. She smacked his hand away with a smile. "Focus, Trunks. We have a birthday party to shop for. What are we going to get her?"

"You're the girl!" he pointed out. "That's why you're here, to help me with the female opinion."

"Maybe Nyssa's getting too old for toys?" Para looked around, trying to remember anything from her youth. Had there ever been anything she treasured, anything she valued? Her eyes landed on a wall that was covered in accessories.

When she pulled herself out of Trunks' arms and walked towards the wall as though hypnotized, he smiled to himself. She was no doubt attracted to the large shiny baubles. Fake gemstones and large fake pearls, bright pink colors—what girl wouldn't stop and stare at a wall like this? Trunks thought of his sister, and how she would have pulled everything off the wall when she was a toddler. Surely one of the items on the wall would make Nyssa happy. He followed Para and saw that the item she was picking up actually wasn't shiny or flamboyant at all.

Para's hand had tentatively stretched out to touch a headband. An orange headband. She pulled the fabric between her fingers and rubbed it gently. A vague memory from her childhood returned to her. A bittersweet smile came to her lips.

"Nyssa can use this to pull back her hair when she's sparring," Para explained. There were several headbands on the rack, and she pulled them all off. The whole dozen or so of them. "She'll need backups when they get damaged and disintegrated from ki-blasts."

"Why orange?" Trunks asked, swallowing a lump in his throat.

Para shrugged. "It will look nice in her dark hair."

Trunks observed the way that she lovingly stroked the orange, and a story developed in his mind. What if Medea was Pan's daughter? It did seem possible. Pan had been gone for so many months. His anger at his ex-girlfriend had completely disappeared, and had been replaced with suspicion and worry. What if Pan was… pregnant?

Trunks literally felt his heart skip a beat. She had said that she was going to see other people. What if she was pregnant right now, with Medea? It seemed like the most likely scenario… Medea had to be born sometime. It made sense that Pan would be embarrassed and hiding from her family if that was the situation. The only person she would tell would be Bra. Maybe that's why the girls had disappeared… but wasn't Medea too strong to be a 1/8th saiyan? Or was it possible that Pan had found another saiyan to date? A… full saiyan? The offspring of a full saiyan and a full human could be as powerful as Gohan. It only stood to reason that the offspring of a full saiyan, and someone like Pan… could be as powerful as Medea.

"Your mind is in the gutter," Para accused, poking him.

"Are you born now? Are you going to be born soon?" he asked her.

"We've been through this, Trunks. I can't tell you that," she said, turning away. "Let's go."

He thought about Goku. The saiyan hero had been a newborn infant when he had been sent away from the soon-to-be-destroyed Planet Vegeta. Goku had later taken revenge for his whole race in defeating Frieza, the man who had killed his father. Similarly, Mirai Trunks had been an infant when his father had been killed by the Androids. It had taken him decades, and he'd had to travel across time to accomplish it, but he had managed to find a way to defeat the Androids.

Even if it took a lifetime, saiyans always achieved their vengeance. Was Medea's destiny to exact a similar vengeance on the man who had been responsible for hurting her family members? Trunks swallowed, reaching out tuck her indigo hair behind her ear. He looked at her sweet face sadly. Who was he to interfere with her destiny? Sure, he had his own desires which were beginning to pull at him more and more, but Medea was not that kind of woman. She was not the childbearing type… she was a warrior—she had been training harder than anyone. She had been sparring with Vegeta every single day, and sometimes even twice a day. Twice a week, she found time to work in the C.C. labs with Bulma on some new contraption, along with regular part-time shifts at the hospital. Even with all of this, she managed to be a devoted girlfriend, and still remembered to buy gifts for her friends' kids' birthday parties! She was amazing.

Para stared at him, and could not resist a little sign of contentment. It was nice to be appreciated by the man you loved; it was even nicer to hear this appreciation telepathically, word for word.

Her cell phone beeped. "I've got a call," she said, seeing that it was work. "I'll see you later at Marron's?"

He nodded, pulling her into his arms to place a goodbye kiss on her lips. "I love you."

"Love you too," she said, between kisses. She handed him the handful of orange headbands. "Buy these!"

With that, she pulled away, pressed two fingers to her forehead, and was gone.

Trunks smiled at the place where she had been standing a moment before. His hand tightened around the accessories as he proceeded to the cash register to follow her command. As he went through the routine movements of slipping his hand into his back pocket to retrieve his leather wallet, his thoughts went to the future. The future from which Medea had traveled. Even though she had brought news of it being bleak and horrible, meeting her had somehow made his own future seem much brighter.

He found himself exiting the store with a gift bag and strolling through the mall aimlessly. He had some time to kill before his shift at the dojo began. He found himself glancing at the couples who passed him hand-in-hand, and smiling at their intimacy. Everything made him happy lately, and everything made him think of Medea. She had changed his life.

A sparkle caught Trunks' eye, and he turned his head to the right. It was a jewelry store, and there were diamond rings in the showcase. He felt a pang of regret and nostalgia as he thought of Pan, and then he kept walking.

Then he paused.

He glanced back over his shoulder furtively. Maybe he'd made a mistake the last time. Asking nicely was never the way to get what you wanted. Manipulation was more effective. What had he been thinking? You didn't _ask_a woman to marry you! You got her pregnant—you made her feel desperate, alone, and needy. Like his father had done. Then marriage was a privilege to her. That's what he should have done with Pan. Through his mistakes he was learning to better manipulate women.

Who knew? Trunks was really considering his father's actions as a standard for dealing with women. Vegeta may seem like a complete idiot in the realm of romance to an uninformed onlooker, but he had gotten a few things right. Manipulation.

Meanwhile, in a nearby city, as Para walked through the halls of her hospital, a smirk came to her face. She could hear Trunks' thoughts across the distance, and they fanned the flames of anger which always lurked beneath the surface of her skin.

_Yeah, manipulate me, baby. I'll see you tonight._

* * *

Para's blue high heels clinked on the white linoleum as she strode beside Dr. Winters. Before her life as a fused being, she would never have worn high heels to the hospital. A lot of things had changed since then. Before meeting Zvarin, being Para had inspired feelings of arrogance and power—she had existed only in thirty-minute bursts of heaven. Now, after her encounter with the green haired-alien, she was humbled. She realized that she was not impervious to both physical and emotional harm. The very moment she had been able to exist for longer than thirty minutes, she had discovered a newfound weakness.

It was terrifying. She overcompensated for it with overworking herself. Para lifted her watch to glance at the time—the special little machine was no longer used for keeping track of her fusion, but for keeping track of her life. She frequently trained with Vegeta and Gohan until she was at the point of collapse. Then she popped into the rejuvenation tank, and did it all over again. Every minute of each day was scheduled to the second.

She only had sex with Trunks a maximum of three times a week—at midnight on Friday, Saturday, and sometimes on either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on how busy things were at the hospital. Sometimes she had to skip the mid-week romp altogether. Lately, on Friday or Saturday, after a few glasses of good wine, she found herself falling asleep during sex. She had learned that she could not lie on her back for even a moment, for her eyes would naturally close and her brain would shut down. Her body begged her to quit this abuse and let it rest. Thus she opted to be on top, and once she had brought her lover to a climax, she generally fell asleep on top of him, without even saying goodnight. Trunks didn't seem to mind. He always held her against him so very tenderly, having assumed something of a protective role toward her since the mayhem at the ball. For a normal human being, this might have been an acceptable and average amount of sex for a busy couple.

For saiyans, it was dismal.

Her time spent at the Capsule Corp. laboratory was divided between apprenticeships under Bulma and Gohan. She spent a large amount of time working with Bulma and trying to find a way to grow her own tail (it was a nagging concern in the back of her mind since Goku had mentioned it, and she was sure that it would increase her strength exponentially) but it seemed impossible. They worked with DNA, and even took samples of tissue from Vegeta's tail (to his chagrin) but they could not figure out how to do it. Nevertheless, Para was hopeful—she had not been able to find a way to remain fused through her own research, but the answer had been magically dropped in her lap by some sick yet benevolent god of the universe.

Maybe the answers of how to grow a tail would come to her just as magically. But she doubted it. Her time with Gohan was spent working with the Katchin jewellery and examining its properties. They had still not discovered a way to cut the metal. After hundreds of hours of work, their labor felt fruitless. Gohan alternated between being extremely sympathetic of Para and quietly suspicious. It was difficult to work with him, and even more difficult to lie to him. The word _papa _nearly slipped out of her lips on many occasions, and she'd had to choke it back painfully. It was difficult being so close to her parents and not being able to be affectionate with them.

Her mind was scattered, and she had difficulty focusing on the words spoken by Dr. Winters. She was vaguely aware that he was informing her of the prognosis of several patients she would be expected to work on as she nodded dumbly. She would have to re-read their charts anyway before she began work. How could she be expected to remember all this?

She was fuelled by her guilt, to give back to the world all that she had taken from it, and all that she was about to take. She was fuelled by the urge to be productive enough for two people. If there were two people within her, surely she should work twice as hard, right? She tried to listen to Dr. Winters, but she simply could not concentrate on her colleague's conversation. Her mind kept seeking out Trunks and listening to his thoughts. It was almost unbelievable how fond of her he had grown. The combination of losing Pan and needing someone to turn to, along with his sympathy for her tragic past (technically her tragic future) had really brought them closer together over the past months.

Trunks had been the ideal, loving boyfriend. He was the kind of boyfriend all the magazines called perfect. Actually, all the magazines were calling him, specifically, perfect. There were actually dozens of articles about it. How quickly Trunks had gone from a scandalous betrayer to a doting, devoted sweetheart in the public eye! How quickly he had also made the transition in hers.

"Medea? Oh, Medeeeaaaa… Hey, yummy M&Ms? Are you listening to me?" Dr. Winters extended his fingers to touch Para's ass.

She reached behind her to grab his hand before it could connect with her lab coat, and she glared at him as she crushed his fingers. "What the fuck did you call me, Winters?"

He winced at the pain in his hand and gulped. "Well, Dr. Meadows, I was telling you about the patient that suffered extreme trauma to his head… some kind of explosion disintegrated his cranium. Two-thirds of his brain is exposed. It's a wonder that he's alive at all, but somehow he's even conscious and talking."

"Conscious?" Para mused. She felt like she should shudder at this description, but she was somehow far too numb to even pretend to be affected. "Did you try sedating him?"

"Of course we tried sedating him. He didn't like the needles very much, and he began getting hysterical—he injured three nurses when he was flailing about in fear of needles. We tried a heavy dose of pills. Nothing's working. The strange thing is that he specifically requested you as his surgeon."

"He requested…" Para paused, with her pen poised above her clipboard.

Then she began running. In a fraction of a second she was bursting through the operating room doors.

"Goten!" she shouted.

"Hi Medea," Goten said with a wave. A small waterfall of blood droplets cascaded down the side of his head from the exposed wound.

"What in Kami's name have you done?" she whispered. She knew from a glance that she couldn't fix this. There was nothing that modern medicine could do for him, and he would be gone in a few minutes.

"Did you know they'll give you free jello here if you're really badly injured and you ask nicely?"

Para crossed the room and moved her fingers along the jagged edge of his damaged skull. She didn't know what to do. This was beyond life-threatening, even for a saiyan. Why was he being so casual? She felt like crying as she reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Goten, what happened?"

"It's a long story," he explained, wiping some blood away from his face with his sleeve. "I decided to kill myself, so I aimed a ki blast directly at my heart. I wanted to blow it to pieces, but at the last second I changed my mind. I couldn't decide at first whether I wanted to explode my heart or my head—which ached more, and which deserved to be exploded the most? Both are pretty deserving."

"Goten," she said softly, feeling his faint pulse. "No…"

"Yup. So I guess my head won the competition of the most detestable part of me. I put my hand up to my ear, and bam! Off goes my ear and part of my skull. Man, that made me dizzy and I saw stars for about five minutes. Then it occurred to me, hey! You're a doctor. Maybe this wasn't a totally bad thing after all. It's probably the only way I'll get to see you."

"Why didn't you get a senzu bean from Gohan?" Para asked firmly.

"Like I said… I wanted a good excuse to see you," he explained. "Plus how would I explain this to Gohan? A senzu might heal me right up… but I'd still be miserable and lonely. I would just want to try again, and that would be an awful waste of a bean, wouldn't it be?"

A doctor in the room cleared his throat. "Dr. Meadows, how do you propose we…"

"Everyone get out!" Para yelled to the other doctors and nurses in the room.

"But Dr. Meadows, he's critical! We have to operate immediately or else he could…"

"I know fully well how bad this is. Now please, get the hell out so I can work!" She glared at her colleagues until they all hesitantly left the room.

"I'm feeling a bit woozy," Goten told her.

"That's because you're dying," she told him, as she bit her lip. "How could you do this? What the hell were you thinking?"

"I really miss you," he told her. "Have you been avoiding me because of what happened in the woods?"

"Goten…"

"You're going to save me, aren't you? I knew that you wouldn't let me die…"

As he said this, he keeled forward, and she caught him in her arms. When she knew he was unconscious, she muttered out loud, "Damn you, Uncle Goten! You're going to drive me insane." She raised two fingers to her forehead and teleported to the Lookout.

Dende was there waiting, and he stretched out his hands and began to heal Goten's head wound before Para had even fully laid Goten down on the ground.

"Was he really suicidal, or just seeking attention?" Para asked Dende.

Dende looked up at Para with confusion on his green face. "You expect me to be able to make sense of what goes on in Goten's head? I'm only a god. You need a psychiatrist."

Para sighed.

"If I may, Para," Dende said as he healed Goten. "You seem to be getting a bit too comfortable with your situation. Perhaps it would be a good time to… take action?"

"It's hard, Dende," she said softly.

"Are you having second thoughts?" Dende asked.

"No, not second thoughts exactly," she said. When she saw her god's puzzled look, she lifted her shoulders to explain. "I've just been overburdening and distracting myself, pushing it out of my mind. I've been forcing myself to forget the bad things, but I've also been forgetting the good things… I don't know who I am anymore. I'm just a mess."

"Well, I'm not sure if it's a physical ailment caused by the fusion—but perhaps I can help with that," Dende said. He spent several more minutes healing Goten, but once he had finished, he moved over to Para. "Relax, child."

He placed his green fingers on Para's chest, as they began to emit a low glow. At first, she felt nothing, and only heard a low hum of energy that reminded her of her coffeemaker. The sound and thought of her coffeemaker placed the taste of coffee in her mouth, and she began to crave a warm cup of… there was a jolt in her body, and Para found herself sitting down abruptly on the Lookout floor. Her memories had come rushing back with full force. She looked up at Dende in confusion.

"I don't know how to describe what I feel from your energy, Para," he said with a frown. "I might say that it's like there's a parasite inside of you, eating away at Bra and Pan so that it can thoroughly possess the host. Or maybe it's just like—a third entity. A third soul, fighting for dominance. It's winning. Your new self is winning, and you won't ever be able to go back. This fusion is a dangerous and unexplored technique. I would advise you to stop using it immediately, but I don't think you would listen to me."

"I can't, Dende," Para said quietly. "I would feel so naked."

Goten groaned as he began to come to. He lifted his hand to touch his ear and head gingerly, before opening his eyes and blinking at Para and Dende. "Hey, guys. I think I feel stronger than before."

Para stared at him for a moment, sensing his energy before sighing. "You are," she said. "Zenkai. Unbelievable. All of us train for months, and you get instantly several times stronger from nearly killing yourself! These saiyan genes are ridiculous."

"Then maybe I should do it more often," Goten suggested.

Para and Dende exchanged worried looks. Para moved closer to Goten, sitting on her knees beside him. She placed a hand on his leg. "You may _not_ do this again. It's too dangerous. You could accidentally kill yourself—it was lucky that we got you to Dende in time or you could have died. There are no dragonballs!"

"Either way, the result is positive," Goten said with a shrug. "Either I'll get stronger, and be more useful to my family and the people I love, or I'll be dead, and more useful to my family and the people I love."

Dende cleared his throat. "I'm going to go for a walk in the garden."

Para glared at him, sending him a telepathic thought. _How can you be so callous?_

Dende turned and was already walking away, with his hands clasped serenely against his back. His guardian's robes swept the floor majestically. _Honey, this is all yours, _he told her. _I've got better things to do—like watch Mr. Popo chase butterflies._

Para sighed, and turned to back to her uncle, squeezing his knee a bit harder. "Goten, this is a cheap shortcut. If we could really sustain higher power levels by just almost-killing ourselves repeatedly, don't you think we would be doing that? It doesn't work that way. We need to learn the proper fighting techniques and proper control—it has to be a gradual ascent, with a continuous fortification of the connection between our minds and our bodies."

"Big words. My head just exploded—take pity."

"You goose," she said, reaching out and throwing her arms around his neck. She closed her eyes as she squeezed him in a tight embrace. "Just don't do it again, okay? This is ill-gained power."

She heard Dende telepathically chuckling from the garden. _She's one to talk about cheap shortcuts and ill-gained power! Hypocrite._

_Dende! _Para scolded mentally. _Stop eavesdropping and watch the butterflies._

_Sorry._

"I don't really care," Goten said, as he slipped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. "You know that I don't care anymore."

Para felt his heartbeat against her chest, and felt his energy humming under her hands. She was so glad that he was alive. She felt so guilty for neglecting Goten recently with her hectic schedule. She could hear his thoughts echoing in her mind.

_Her scent makes me dizzy. Her body is so small, but so strong. It's so good to hold her. She's like this magical little being, and being close to her just makes me feel healed and whole. I feel like I'm a worthy man again when she looks at me which such concern in her eyes. It feels like she really cares about me—but that's not true, is it? She's his. It doesn't matter._

Goten tightened his grip on her, in the desperate way a soldier might squeeze his wife after returning from battle._ This is the first moment I've actually been happy in as long as I can remember. It was worth it to try and kill myself if it got me the chance to see her and touch her. Being near to her gives me strength. It's like these waves of power and goodness just shine from her. Her beauty is mystical, but it's even more than that. She really is something special. But what happens when she's gone again? _Goten released her and stepped away, looking at Para with sad brown eyes._ What happens when I don't see her for months—when she returns to him? I can't deal with this. I'll have to try again. I need to make a change_ _in my life._ _I have reached such a disgusting plateau where nothing happens. I just need to feel like I'm making some kind of progress… whether towards something bad or good, in a bad or good way, I don't care. I just don't seem to be able to do anything worthwhile._

Para sighed. It was so difficult to listen to him thinking this way. She looked at him firmly. "Promise me you won't try to do this again. Promise me, Goten."

He reached up to scratch behind his neck sheepishly. "Is it okay if we go for a walk in the Lookout? Maybe find somewhere private to sit and talk?"

"Sure," she said. She pulled herself to her feet, and extended a hand to help Goten up. He took it, smiling at her.

"You look so pretty in that lab coat," he remarked, as he stared at the shapeless white garment.

"Oh, Kami," she muttered, as she reached down and began to unbutton the garment. She tossed it aside onto the tiled Lookout floor. "That's better."

Goten stared at the way her little blue dress hugged her figure. The shade of blue perfectly matched her high-heeled pumps and the little bow in her hair. "Put it back on," he told her firmly. "If you let me see that much skin, I'm going to have to put my hands on you."

Para felt a blush creeping into her cheeks as she quickly retrieved the coat. As she slipped it on, and began walking beside Goten, she felt a vibration in her pocket. She fished into the massive pockets to find her phone, and saw that Dr. Winters had texted her:

_Where are you, M&Ms?_

She growled as she began to aggressively type back:

_Family emergency, dickface! Cover for me._

"Is everything okay?" Goten asked. "Do you need to go back to work?"

"No, it's fine," Para said, as she shoved the phone back into her pocket. "So let's catch up. I haven't seen you in a while. Not since…"

"Not since we nearly slept together," Goten filled in for her. "You've been avoiding me."

"Yes," she said softly, slipping her hand around his bicep. "I'm sorry, Goten… I shouldn't have abandoned you like that."

"Why wouldn't you train with me? I kept texting you. I thought you would at least put aside our differences for a spar."

"You would go way too easy on me. I needed Vegeta and Gohan to push me to my limits."

"Are you saying I'm not strong enough?" he asked.

"No, that's not it. It's like the difference between studying under a teacher and studying with a classmate. You always want to goof off. Besides, you and Trunks trained a good deal, didn't you?"

"No," Goten responded. "I mean, sometimes—but Trunks has been busy. Medea, didn't we have fun training together before?"

"Yes," she answered softly. "I just thought it would be best…"

"To avoid me like the plague that I am," he filled in for her. "Did you know that my mom kicked me out of the house last month?"

"What?" she asked with a frown.

"We got into a fight, and she kicked me out."

That was impossible, Para thought to herself. Chi-Chi loved Goten. There was nothing that she could imagine that Goten could possibly do that would make Chi-Chi that upset…

"An ex-girlfriend came over to the house. There was this huge commotion. Her name's Paris. I doubt you've heard of her."

"Paris?" she snapped angrily. "What did she want?"

Goten shrugged. "I don't know. Her parents forced her to marry some rich guy, but I guess she always had a soft spot in her heart for me. She just wanted to catch up and see how I was. She has a kid. My mom kind of went ballistic on her, and Paris just got in the car and drove away crying."

_Way to go, Chi-Chi! _Para thought to herself with relief.

"She's no Videl," Goten admitted. "She can't give it back to my mom blow for blow. I think that's why she and I never worked out. Mom thought she was too weak-minded."

"Sounds accurate. Especially if she chose some rich guy over you," Para added. "So where are you staying now? Are you renting your own place?"

"Nah, I moved next door with Gohan."

A burst of laughter left Para's throat. Her mom and dad couldn't be too happy about that.

"Are you laughing at my pain?" Goten asked.

"Oh, it's just—you made it seem like you were having such a hard time with your mom, but you're right next door."

"I can't leave her alone anymore," Goten said with a troubled look. "I did for so many years. I… I don't want to leave her alone."

Para smiled, and squeezed Goten's arm. She remembered that even when he had lived with Bra, they had made frequent visits to Mt. Paozu. They continued strolling together through the lookout. "Gohan and Videl are probably pretty grumpy about you interfering with their alone time, huh? They were probably so glad to have their daughter out of the house."

"No, it wasn't like that. Everyone loved Panny," Goten said fondly. It gave Para a little ache to hear him speak of her so fondly. "I mean, she was a brat when she was a kid, but she really grew on you. She was something."

Para smiled as she gazed at the sky through the white pillars of the Lookout as they strolled through the endless hallways. _Yeah. She was something. Now she's something better._

Goten paused in his stride. "It kind of upsets me to stay in her room. Everyone thinks she left because of Trunks, but it's not just him. He's not a good reason for her to avoid her family. Panny's upset with me. With good reason. The last time she spoke to me… well, sometimes I wonder if I'll ever talk to her again. She's just so disappointed."

Para stared at him quietly. She did miss her uncle.

"Anyway, that's just one of the things that's been nagging at me lately. With seeing Paris out of the blue, old memories being dug up, my mom going nuts on me, and thinking about Pan… and Bra. It's just everything hitting me all at once."

"Goten, one sec," Para said, digging into her pockets. She pulled out her dinosaur-shaped keychain, and unhooked one key from it. "Here. You can stay at my house if you like! I've been staying at Capsule Corp. with Trunks most of the time anyway."

"Thanks, Medea." He took the key from her and looked at it with a sad smile. "It's not just the place, you know. It's the people. I don't feel like anyone really wants me. Nowhere feels like home."

She sent him a knowing look as she continued walking. "I'm pretty sure you have to pay rent for it to really feel like home."

"How much would you like?" he asked.

"I was just kidding," she told him. "It's yours to use as you like. It's modest, but there's enough space. And a decent sized refrigerator. It might be nice to get away from Mt. Paozu for a little while. It might be refreshing to stay in the city."

"Will you be there sometimes?" he asked softly.

She hesitated. "Maybe. Sometimes I crash there after work when I am too tired and… too afraid to train with Vegeta. Kami—but don't tell him I said that."

"Your secret's safe with me," Goten said with a grin. "Now can I tell you a secret of mine?"

"Sure."

"I've been really jealous these past few months."

"Jealous?"

"Yeah," Goten mumbled, "but I'm not sure why. I wasn't sure who I was more jealous of—you or Trunks. Was I jealous that you were stealing my best friend, or jealous that he was stealing you from me? It was probably a bit of both."

"Wait… Goten, do you like _like_ Trunks? I won't judge if you do."

"Like _like_? Oh, you mean… No! Ew," Goten said with a shudder. He laughed as he continued walking through the spiralling hallways. "I'm just used to having more of his time and attention. And you… I guess I was just greedy at the thought of having you to myself, and fantasizing about you way too much. Especially after how we left things."

A little shiver ran through her spine as she strolled beside him. He had fantasized about her?

"And Vegeta sent me on this task to find Bra," Goten added. "I couldn't find her anywhere, and Marron couldn't find a credit trail… I'm really worried about her."

"I'm sure she's fine," Para said. "Maybe she's living off the land somewhere, and doesn't need credit cards."

"No, you don't understand," Goten said gravely. "Bra can't live without a constant feed of new shoes. I'm really worried that her life is in danger."

Para laughed a little, and placed a hand on her chest. "Cross my heart, Goten—here's a tidbit of knowledge from the future. She's fine."

"Really?" Goten smiled and reached out and hugged Para. "Thanks for telling me. I've been such a screw-up… it's just really nice to hear something good."

She hugged him back lightly, enjoying his happiness—and enjoying that it was for her. He was happy to learn that she was okay. She sighed against him contentedly, allowing herself to relax. Just as she relaxed, she felt his body stiffen.

Goten was looking at something behind her as though he had seen a ghost. She could feel no ki behind her, but she could see that he was disturbed. She turned around and saw a large open-concept room with a bed in the center. She turned back to look at him questioningly.

"This room… Trunks and I rested in this room before the fight with Buu," Goten told her.

"I heard that you guys were pretty powerful."

"Hah. When we were fused together, we had some chops—but we were nothing individually."

"I know what you mean," she muttered. When he looked at her curiously, she smiled. "You guys made a huge contribution to that fight! You should be proud."

"We were idiots."

"You were kids."

"The last time I slept in this bed," Goten said softly, "I dreamed of fried chicken. Krillen woke me up by shaking me violently. It had been a nice dream. I wish I could have just kept on dreaming."

"What happened?" Para asked.

"I woke up and saw my mother killed right before my eyes."

Para didn't know what to say.

"I was seven," he said. "She was upset because Buu had killed Gohan, so she confronted him. Mom's fearless like that… and insane. I'm sure she would have done the same for me."

She reached out and hesitantly touched Goten's hand.

"Buu turned her into an egg. Then he stepped on her."

This was one of those stories of which she had never heard the specific details. It sent pain through her chest to imagine Chi-Chi being killed in such a ghastly way. She squeezed Goten's hand to comfort him.

"There was nothing I could do," Goten said, as he stared at the bed. "I was useless."

"You were just a boy," she said again.

"Do you know what I realized at that moment?" he asked, as his brows knit into a scowl. "I had lost everyone. Mom had been the only person I had left. I was completely alone in the world—Gohan was dead, or so I believed. Dad was gone too, but that wasn't new. He had never been there to begin with, but I still felt ripped apart at getting to see him for a minutes and then having him disappear again. Right when I needed him. Right when _mom _needed him. With the stomping of Buu's foot, my whole world had become a scrambled breakfast dish."

Para bit her lip. "But Goten…"

"Why did he come back at all?" Goten shouted. "Why didn't he just stay _dead!"_

Goten's hair flashed golden, and he slammed his fist into a large white pillar. It crumbled beneath his rage.

Tears came to Para's eyes, and she tried to blink them away. She did not know how to answer his question. She wanted to say that in the end it had all worked out, but that seemed hardly the point.

Goten's hair returned to its natural state just as quickly, and his voice became calm again. "But then—you know what? Trunks said exactly what I needed to hear. Even though he was just a year older than me, he spoke with all the maturity and confidence of his dead father, and my dead father, and even with the strength of Gohan—he said that he had faith in me. He said that I could beat that monster who had killed my mother. He said that we could do it together."

He turned to look at Para, and gave her a smile. "And I knew it was going to be okay, because even though I'd lost everything, I still had my best friend."

Tears left Para's eyes then, and began to stream down her face. She couldn't control it anymore, and she began quietly sobbing.

"Oh, Goten. I'm so sorry." She bowed her head in shame. This was her Goten—he was her family, and her love. His life had been difficult, and he was hurting, and she should be there for him! She shouldn't be plotting against him. He had seen so much more than she had. His life had been full of suffering. Regardless of how he had hurt her, she should be the bigger person, and she should be kind to him. Was there any kindness left in her?

"What have I done?"she whispered. She knew that she needed to call this whole revenge thing off completely. She needed to unfuse, and she needed to quit cold-turkey. Para reached down and began to clumsily pull the black katchin rings off her index fingers. It wouldn't break her fusion, since she still wore many other articles of jewelry, but it was an act of resolve. She needed to stop this. She didn't necessarily have to tell the Z-team what she had done and come clean—but she had to stop.

"What's wrong?" Goten asked her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Here, come and sit down." He guided her over to the bed that awakened such gruesome memories.

"I'm just… I don't know what I'm doing anymore," Para said weakly, as she wiped tears away from her cheeks. She tucked the rings into her bra as she sniffled. "I'm a screw up. I'm… a mess."

"Hey," Goten said with a grin. "You're preaching to the choir here. In case you haven't noticed, I'm falling apart too."

"I've gone down this horrible path that I can't get off of," she said.

"Then let's do it together."

"What?"

"Let's make a pact… we'll try to be good people together from now on."

Para studied Goten's face and for a moment, she saw her grandfather. The resemblance was striking, but only for a moment. She smiled.

"Okay."

He grinned and stretched his arms behind his head, letting himself fall back onto the mattress.

"So, while we're here, up in the clouds away from the world, catch me up on the last few months! What have you been up to?"

She lay back down on the bed too, with her ear just grazing his warm shoulder. She fought the urge to snuggle closer to him. "I've just been exhausted," she admitted. "I'm working twice as hard as ever, but I only feel half as alive."

"I know what you mean," he answered. "I don't feel alive at all lately."

* * *

Para had fallen asleep. She literally could not lie down for a second.

She suddenly awoke with a start, sensing some kind of danger. She sat up suddenly, and became aware of two things: she had fallen asleep in heels and a lab coat, and Goten was propped up on an elbow watching her. She smiled up at him, enjoying the warmth of his chocolate brown eyes. She reached up and touched his cheek gently. She became suddenly conscious of the fact that she had removed the fusion rings from her fingers. A giant yawn threatened to leave her mouth, but she managed to resist its power.

"Were you watching me?" Para asked.

"You're so pretty when you're sleeping," he commented.

She smiled, wishing more than ever that she could just be Bra again. She wanted to be with Goten so badly. But part of her also wanted to stay with Trunks. She was happy with Trunks; he was kind to her.

She suddenly remembered that Goten didn't love Bra. He didn't look at her this way when she woke up from a nap. Why would she want to be Bra?

"I should go back to work," she told him.

"No," he protested. "Stay here with me."

There was nothing she would have rather done. She smiled at him. "Okay, maybe for a little bit."

Goten snuggled down beside her, and wrapped his arm around her waist. He pressed a gentle kiss against the corner of her eye. His touch was somehow sweet and innocent, and she did not feel guilty. It was just what she needed. She closed her eyes and rested against him blissfully.

* * *

Para wasn't sure how long she had been asleep for when she felt Goten brutally ripped away from her. One moment, they had been comfortably entwined, and the next moment there was a harsh cold space beside her. Before her eyes had fully been open, she imagined that it was Trunks who had caught them together like that.

The thought sent a little tremor of fear through her, but when she was able to see her attacker, she froze.

"Hello, Para," said the elegant foreign drawl. The speaker brushed some locks of green hair away from his shoulder.

Para's heartbeat began racing, and she saw that Goten was suspended in midair. He had not been ripped away from her by a person—it had been controlled psychic energy. He was now imprisoned inside of one of Zvarin's force-fields.

"Dammit," she whispered. "I fall asleep for ten minutes and…"

"It's good to see you again, Para," Zvarin said in a calm, even voice. Hearing her name sent a chill through her. "Shall I dispose of this piece of meat you were using for companionship now that he is no longer needed?"

"Don't you dare touch him." Para saw the look of terror in Goten's eyes, and she imagined that he was struggling to move. The force-field was just too strong—he could not even blink his eyelids. She remembered the unpleasant sensation. _It's going to be okay, Goten,_ she communicated to him telepathically. She turned to Zvarin angrily. "I thought you said it would take you three years to travel to Earth."

"I overestimated. Actually, I just lied."

As Zvarin slowly circled around his prey, Goten's thoughts began to fly at Para in a panic. _What the hell is this? I can't move! I can't even expand my chest to breathe deeply! Why did he call you 'Para'?_

She realized that Goten needed to know. Now that they were in danger, he really needed to know. _That's my real name. Goten, it's me… I'm a fusion of Pan and Bra. Para. And I'm going to kick this guy's ass._

_You're…_

Para powered up to the Super Saiyan 2 before charging at Zvarin. "Let him go!" she shouted.

Zvarin pointed a finger at her, and she found herself frozen. "Now, now, you know what happened the last time you fought with me, young lady. Why do you think that you've gotten any stronger?"

_You're Pan and Bra? You're PAN AND BRA? _Goten was asking.

_I'm so sorry for lying, Goten, _she said as she struggled against the force field. It was futile. Once she was captured in it, she was perfectly ensnared.

_How could you lie to all of us like this? To Trunks? How are you staying fused for so long?_

_It's a long story, _she said as her eyes fixed warily on Zvarin.

"Let me save you the trouble of having to explain yourself, Para," Zvarin said cordially. "Dead men are less inquisitive."

With that, he pulled a sword from his belt. In one fluid motion, he was swinging it towards Goten's neck. Para tried to scream, but the sound was muffled against her closed lips.

She watched as Goten's head was severed from his body. Zvarin wiped his sword clean and returned it to his scabbard as Goten's head rolled around on the ground. The head finally settled at Para's feet, staring up at her. She felt like the world was collapsing around her.

_GOTEN! GOTEN! _She tried to communicate with him telepathically, but there was no longer a recipient. _Goten, please… I'm so sorry. I love you so much… Goten…_

Her thoughts just met with emptiness. She felt that ears were spilling over her eyelids, and her vision blurred as she stared down at the severed head. _I'm going to get him back, _she resolved. _There are no dragonballs, but I will find a way. I will make Dende make fucking dragonballs, I will…_

"It's okay, dearest. It will only hurt for a moment," Zvarin said, approaching her. She saw his gold-tipped boots nearing Goten's head, and her heart broke when one of the boots kicked Goten's skull away from her line of sight callously. The tears coursed fourth from her eyes in rivulets.

She felt Zvarin's hands on the side of her head, lifting her face so that she could face him. She detested those superior violet eyes.

"You're going to forget all about him," Zvarin said, as a warm silver glow began to surround her head.

Not that. She began to struggle. She could not forget Goten. How would she revive him if she forgot him? However, Zvarin's technique was effective. She found herself trying desperately to remember what she was trying to forget.

_Goten, Goten, Goten. I won't forget him. My uncle, my dad's brother. My ex-boyfriend, my brother's best friend. Goten, strong half-saiyan Goten. Eats like a monster, loves ice cream and chocolate. Goten! Goten! What was he like? I can't remember what he was like! He was nice. Nice, innocent, sweet loving Goten… right? He was mean to me once. He left me, and he hurt me, but I love him and… what was his name again? It was… what did he look like? I can't remember! I can't forget him! But who… who was he? I loved him. I just… can't…_

"There. You've forgotten," Zvarin said smugly. "You don't need to be encumbered by insignificance."

Para found herself released from the force-field. "What did I forget, Zvarin?"

"It's not important." Zvarin's hand reached out to rest on her shoulder peacefully.

* * *

!

Can you believe he did that? I'm so mad at that guy right now.

* * *

These people can all review like a boss:

**manazmama1:** Awwwww! Thank you for your darling review—it was the first one I received on Chapter 23, and it was so delightful to know how much you enjoyed the story! Hahaha, I totally giggled when you compared the Vegeta scene to Brokeback Mountain with sarcasm. Thanks so much for checking out my mermaid book! Hope you liked this chappy too. =D

**Zi-Dawg:** So when I read your review, and your comment that my Vegeta resembled the TFS Vegeta, I had no idea what TFS was! Since then, I have seen every single one of their parodies and their movies, and I LOVE IT TO DEATH. Thanks for mentioning. =D I liked your comments on Para's new job. As you can see, I needed to use it for a few reasons.

**KarinKurosakiHitsugaya913:** Thank you so much! I'm thrilled you're enjoying it.

**mali86:** Thanks for your lovely review!

**Shahi:** I am glad that you want Para to break the guys! Your review made me so happy. I liked reading your comments on Vegeta's insults, and about Uub. Yes, Uub and Buu are fused here, so that could definitely come into play. Hehe, I don't think I have enough material for 100 chapters of this story, especially considering the chapter size! But I do think it will be around 40 or so! :D I'm not too sure; it might be finished this year.

**nite-fire:** Thanks for your feedback on the comic relief! I am so happy you found it funny! All the best wishes to you too!

**famoso:** Haha. Glad you liked Vegeta's compliments! =D I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. I'm sorry you miss the girls, but trust me, it's all part of the plan!

**Daughter Of Vegeta:** I'm delighted that you find the story interesting!

**Anmylica:** Haha, I love the Chuck Norris comparison! Vegeta totally fits the attitude.:)

**anime-school-chick:** Thank you! I would love to tell you how long they're going to be fused for, both in real time, number of chapters, and their time (like the number of days, weeks, or years) but then it wouldn't be a surprise! Have faith in me, it will be interesting. =)

**KayuraK:** Reading your review made me miss Vegeta in this chapter. He was supposed to be in this chapter, but then I sliced it in half, and he got pushed forward. =( Thanks for checking out my novel! Now that I have finished this chappy, I am excited to read your update!

**Suzki:** I'm sorry that Goten and Para didn't get it on last time! But don't worry, I'm not going to abandon this story. I'm going to write it until it's finished, but sadly I have to take breaks for real life, even if real life is writing too! Lol.

**PannyChanBriefs:** Dude, I can't possibly fit all the thanks you deserve in here—it would crash ffnet permanently. Instead, I must Fedex you a baked potato, with warm butter, sour cream, and the perfect amount of salt.

**Jazzberry:** Sorry. =( The gals can't let it go. I appreciate your review, and I'm sorry you don't like the story, but you don't have to keep reading. You see, a year in the time chamber wouldn't be enough to make me forget someone I loved.

**Ashley:** It warms my heart to know that you're so excited to read new chapters! I am glad you are uncertain about the ending and find the story unpredictable. I will do my best to keep it suspenseful and keep you guessing! Thanks for your sweet review!

**Talk smith kid:** I'm so glad you enjoy the time with Para! I took what you said about Bra to heart in writing this chapter, and I promise Bra will get her time to shine very soon! I agree with you that she's been really hurt, and she needs her moment. I feel bad for her too. Thank you for your lovely review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

**Bluebanany:** I'm always happy to receive a review from you! Thanks for your feedback, and I'm honored that you are enjoying my story.

**AbStRaCt DaRkNeSs:** Awwww, you have given me such high praise! I am flattered that you consider me one of the best DBZ writers. =) I try really hard and put a lot of time into it, so I am so happy it shows! Thank you for reading my story, and I hope that you will continue to stay with it!

**VidelChan313:** Thankies for your sweet review! Glad you know where I'm coming from in my depressing rants in the Author's notes! Lol. Thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy!

**kickstartmyhart:** Hey pretty lady! I am once again so happy to receive your feedback! I see that you liked slightly-tougher Goten in the last chapter, and I wonder what you will think of him in this chappy? Lol! You wrote that it would be hard to have telepathy and listen to some of the things boys think… yeah, I don't think I could possibly write the evilness of the thoughts that boys have. =( Hehe. Thanks for your comments on Para's identity—I definitely have work to do on her rediscovering who she is. She is getting a bit lost in there. Thanks a million for reading and reviewing!

**Tpfan:** You asked: "Are you one of those authors that never finishes their amazing stories?" And sadly, I must answer that so far, it appears that I am. However, I am getting pretty great with setting deadlines for myself and doing what I intend to do, and I do fully intend to finish TMTH! The problem is that I would never rush any of my writing, so while there are many places I could just make a fast conclusion, I prefer to write the story out fully the way I imagine it in my mind. Even if it takes years.

**Kevintalamo:** Hahaha, don't worry! I won't quit writing this! But threatening me with making sandwiches definitely encourages me to write, because I would much rather sit in front of my computer than slave away in a kitchen! Thank you for your enthusiasm, and I am so thrilled that you like Para!

* * *

You know the drill kiddoes! I go off and have a life... Oh, wait. No! That's not going to happen this time.  
BECAUSE I HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER ALREADY WRITTEN.  
Yes, I'm not kidding. It's edited too. A few people have even given me feedback on it. THE NEXT CHAPTER IS NUTS. I AM NOT KIDDING. NUTS. You know that I wouldn't say that unless it was true. (It was originally attached to this one, but it got too long, so I sliced it in half.)  
So... I'll post the new chappy up in a few days. On a day when I'm feeling particularly happy.  
Peace out, dudes and dudettes.


	25. Polka Dotted Dress

_Chapter 25: Polka Dotted Dress_

I must warn you that things are about to get steamy.

Don't read this chapter if there are people around, or if you are in class... and you'll probably need to take a shower after.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to Arian, who loves G/B.

Also, thank you for jazzyfizzler for forcing me to post. =)

~Nadia

* * *

_Goten, Goten, Goten. I won't forget him. My uncle, my dad's brother. My ex-boyfriend, my brother's best friend. Goten, strong half-saiyan Goten. Eats like a monster, loves ice cream and chocolate. Goten! Goten! What was he like? I can't remember what he was like! He was nice. Nice, innocent, sweet loving Goten… right? He was mean to me once. He left me, and he hurt me, but I love him and… what was his name again? It was… what did he look like? I can't remember! I can't forget him! But who… who was he? I loved him. I just… can't…_

"There. You've forgotten," Zvarin said smugly. "You don't need to be encumbered by insignificance."

Para found herself released from the force-field. "What did I forget, Zvarin?"

"It's not important." Zvarin's hand reached out to rest on her shoulder peacefully.

"Medea?" came a distant, familiar voice, as the hand on her shoulder began shaking her violently. She couldn't recognize the voice, but it made her eyebrows knit in concentration. "You're having a nightmare. Come back to me."

Her eyes snapped open, and she saw his face. He was alive.

"Goten!" she cried. With a sob, she grabbed his face and began covering it with kisses. "Thank Dende. Thank Dende—you're okay. He beheaded you. Kami, that monster just sliced off your head…"

"Nope, my head is still attached. Not for lack of my trying to remove it, but…"

She cried and clutched him against her desperately. "Oh, Goten. It was rolling around on the ground. He… he made me forget you. Thank Kami it didn't happen. It was so real. I never want to see that again."

"Sorry I gave you nightmares with my suicide attempt," Goten said sadly. "I didn't mean to scare you. It was just a dream."

"Just a dream," she repeated. "A dream. One of my dreams that come true. Oh, no, please." She pulled away from Goten and sat on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands.

"It's not going to come true," Goten told her. "We shouldn't have slept here. I told you—this bed is cursed. Every time I sleep here, something horrible happens… Medea?"

When he saw that she was sobbing into her hands, he reached out and pulled her against him. "Hey, hey now. Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise. Medea? I'm okay." He hugged her, but she didn't respond to her touch. He couldn't believe how inconsolable she was. "I didn't know you cared so much!"

When she heard that, she reflexively hit him in the face. "Of course I care, you idiot! I love you. I can't lose you." She returned to sobbing.

Goten stared at her with puzzlement and amazement. He reached up and rubbed his cheek. For a man who felt like there was no place for him in the world, her words were like a beacon of hope and light. She loved him? Did she really? But she hardly knew him. Unless…

"You love me in the future? For who I'm going to be, but who I haven't become yet?" he asked, growing upset. "Because that's not me…"

"No! I love you for who you've always been, and who you are right now. I've loved you every single day of my sorry life, and you don't even care!" Her eyes were overflowing with tears, and she couldn't even stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. "You just walked away. You just walked away on what we had, like it was nothing to you! I'm nothing to you! I've never been anything to you! I'm just a fucking joke. It's so easy to toss me aside when you're done with me. You just walked away."

"That's not true," Goten said in shock. "You were the one who walked away, because you wanted to be with Trunks."

Of course, that was not what Para was talking about. After seeing Goten's head severed from his body, large sections of Bra's psyche were finding their way to the surface of her mind. Elements of Bra's feelings and Bra's weaknesses began overpowering her. She realized that although Goten had hurt her greatly, she didn't want to forget him. She wanted to remember the pain, because it was a connection to him. She didn't want to lose him. She didn't want him to die.

Goten observed her solemnly, and began running his hands over the length of her indigo hair. "I don't think you're making sense right now. It must be the dream—but really, Medea, none of that happened. It's all in your head. I'm okay, and I'm right here—and I promise you that I'll never hurt you. I'll never walk away from you."

She looked at him sharply, her eyes burning with the heat of the tears that flooded them. They were boiling. The tears in her tear ducts were boiling hot, but her eyes and skin were too strong to be scalded. Her fiery gaze settled on him, and somehow her dark eyes were bluer than they had been a moment ago.

Goten was mesmerized by the fierce expression on her face. He reached out, and began to wipe away the tears which were dripping off her chin. Then, without thinking, he leaned forward and began to kiss the tears off her cheeks.

"Shhh," he said, softly. "It's okay. I don't know what you've seen, or where you've been, but you're here now. You're safe with me, I promise."

Her wide blue eyes blinked once, and she began to slowly nod. Yes, she needed to believe that, just for a moment. When she had been younger—when she had been Bra, and people had threatened her safety, Goten had always been there. He had always protected her. A part of her sarcastically wanted to say that it was a load of horse dung… but she didn't feel like listening to that part. Para quelled the insecurities and distrust, and smiled at Goten.

She shrugged off her uncomfortable and unstylish lab coat, revealing the cute blue dress underneath. Yes, she felt more like herself now. She pulled away from Goten, and crawled over to the center of the bed to bury her face in the pillows. She needed to forget about that hideous dream. It could never, ever come true. She would rather die than let Zvarin hurt Goten.

But what could she really do?

Decades of helplessness came flooding back into her mind as her eyes soaked the pillow. She remembered standing to the side and watching the boys fight. Watching her dad fight. Watching them get hurt, and watching them nearly get killed, and being completely unable to do anything about it. She hated remembering this. Was that who she really was, underneath Para? She never wanted to go back to being _that _sorry, pathetic being.

"Medea," Goten said softly, "why don't you want to be with me?"

"Because of Trunks…"

"But you said you loved me."

"I do," she whispered reaching up to pull him against her in a desperate embrace. "Goten, I can't lose you."

He returned her hug, and his cheek grazed against her soft face. He paused for a moment, as if considering his actions. As if he knew that the next motion would determine everything. Then he turned and pressed his lips against hers. When she kissed him back, there was a plea in her lips that his body instinctively understood. It was beyond words. It was beyond humanity.

"I need you," he told her.

She believed him. It felt nice to be needed. She wondered at that moment, if he needed her as much as she needed him.

"But what about Trunks?" she whispered. "He's like your brother."

"I thought you understood," he said quietly. "I don't care anymore. I don't care about anything."

"Goten…"

"Do you? Because if you really cared, you wouldn't be here with me right now."

She pressed her lips against his again, kissing him desperately. She had missed him so much. "I care about you," she answered.

That was all he needed to hear.

She didn't quite know how it happened. It was so fast. It was so natural, as though it had happen a thousand times before. Because, of course, it had. She had been so focused on the distraction of his delicious lips, and the feeling of his muscled shoulders under her hands, that she was numb to anything else. She only vaguely recalled when Goten pulled down his jeans and nudged her legs apart. She only vaguely remembered that he had used his thumb to hook her blue thong and pull it aside as he positioned himself to enter her.

His breathing was heavy as he paused. "Are you sure about this?"

She stared up into his eyes fearfully. "No," she said softly.

"No?" he asked, his chest expanding against hers as he inhaled raggedly. "I won't if…"

"We can't," she told him, frozen.

"Okay, I'll stop."

Neither of them moved.

"Goten," she groaned, finally, bucking her hips so she could feel him against her flesh. She ran her fingers over his solid, muscled back. "Do it!"

He began moving, but he hesitated, pausing to look seriously at her. "Are you sure?"

"Fuck me!"

He didn't need any more invitation before he drove himself into her, forcing his erection between her folds of flesh and burying himself in her warmth. She moaned as she felt his full length slide into her. She arched her back and pressed herself against him fully, savouring the sensation of him filling her.

Once he was inside of her, he paused. He stayed very still. He looked into her eyes for a moment, just enjoying being attached to her. Then he smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek, nuzzling her face with his nose.

"There's no going back from this," he told her firmly. "You're mine now."

"Goten—" she began protesting, but she was cut off when he began to move. He had allowed her body a moment to adjust to him, and allowed her mind a moment to adjust to the fact that this experience meant a great deal to him. The pause had been almost too much to bear—she wanted him too badly. At the moment that he remained still inside of her, she realized that she had never wanted anything more.

She knew that Goten could take her away.

When he lifted himself into a push-up position on top of her and began pleasuring her with slow, careful strokes, she was not disappointed. He was moving so slowly that she could feel every wrong, guilty inch of him. This was the worst thing she had ever done in her life. Every second was slow and sinful.

She wanted more.

"Faster," she demanded, with an urgency she could no longer control. Her hips lifted to meet his with an awful combination of greed and desire. She angled her body so that his stokes prodded the right spot. When he followed her command and began moving faster, her head rolled back and she began moaning loudly.

He placed a hand on her face, letting his thumb slip into her mouth. Somehow, this felt ultra-sexy to her, and she closed her lips around his finger, tasting his skin. It was wrong, and it was bad. They should do it in a bad way. Just as she was thinking it, Goten suggested it.

"I want you from behind," he told her, as he pulled out of her.

She rushed to comply, not wanting to break their contact for a moment more than necessary. When she was on her hands and knees, Goten immediately moved to enter her, with one of his hands hooked around her hip to guide her body, and the other slipping forward over her stomach to fondle her breasts. She moaned at his touch as she slammed her body back against him, arching her back to lower her torso so that she could feel more of him pressed against her. His balls pressed against her most sensitive parts, making her skin throb with pleasure.

"Ohhh, Goten," she murmured, clenching her inner muscles around him. She was close.

"Keep your power level down!" he said sharply, pausing in his thrusts.

"I'm trying," she said helplessly. "Just don't stop—please! It feels so good. Keep going…"

"Say it again," he told her, holding very still. He ran his fingers across her back, grasping a handful of her hair gently. "Say those words again."

Memories of their bedtime fun came rushing back to her as a giggle left her throat. It still surprised her. How could gentle, naïve Goten be so dominant? After all this time, she should expect it, but it still thrilled her.

"Say it," Goten whispered, as he leaned forward, pushing her down against the bed. He pressed his body against hers, and spoke close to her ear. "Tell me what you want."

She turned back to look at him, before taking his bottom lip between her teeth and biting down on it gently. She kissed him, pushing her tongue into his warm mouth and warring with his tongue. When she pulled away from him, she smiled.

"Fuck me, Goten."

He seemed satisfied at hearing these words, and placed his lips against her neck as he began to move inside of her again. "Keep calm," he whispered soothingly. "Keep your power level down."

She nodded, but the effort it took to restrain herself took away from her pleasure. She couldn't restrain herself. She needed to let loose… she clenched her inner muscles around him longingly, pushing her hips back to meet his thrusts, and she felt him shuddering on top of her.

Goten groaned as he made a few quick, final thrusts, before his orgasm came. His warmth exploded into her before he collapsed against her back. Feeling his sudden weakness, and hearing the shudder in his breathing, she felt a little bit satisfied too. A little bit disappointed that it was over, but also satisfied that he had enjoyed it. She had missed her Goten.

Para's eyes shot open, as the realization of who she was came rushing back to her. She slid out from under Goten and detached their bodies, scrambling to grab her white lab coat.

"Oh, Dende," she whispered, as the image of a lavender-haired man invaded her mind. She pulled the lab coat over her body in horror as she stumbled away from the bed.

"Hey, where are you going?" Goten asked her in surprise.

"I… need to think," she told him, putting a hand on her chest and feeling pain course through her heart. "I'm so sorry."

"Medea? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's _wrong?"_ she asked. "Trunks was so good to me, and I just stabbed him in the back. I can't believe we just did this to him."

"We talked about it, I thought you were cool…"

"I was cool! I am cool! I just… need time to deal. Kami!"

"Medea!" he called, but she was already flying away. She flew away from the Lookout at top speed, wondering if Dende knew what had happened. Of course he knew. He was probably entertained by the drama. She swore aloud. As she navigated through the dark rainclouds, she realized that she was going to break Trunks' heart. It was what she had intended from the beginning, but now that she was so close to the moment, she could no longer take it. It was hurting her too much. It was not guilt either, but genuine pain at the thought of harming Trunks.

A trickle of moisture dripped down the inside of her thigh, reminding her of what she had done. She shuddered. She felt a strange combination of disgust at herself, and arousal at the thought of being with Goten. Then Trunks came to mind again, and she felt horror at how much pain he would feel if he knew.

This was how Para learned that you can't break the heart of someone you love without breaking your own in the process. She felt like a steaming, putrid pile of shit. She also felt successful.

* * *

"This is what I meant to happen. This is what I meant to happen."

Para repeated this to herself as she sat on the floor of her walk-in closet, her knees pulled up to her chest. She had taken a shower, and come into the closet wearing her bathrobe in order to choose something to wear. Now, there were three phones spread out before her, and each phone represented a different life. Her hands were shaking as she alternated between picking up each phone and scanning through photos and messages of the life belonging to that phone.

She had gone from choosing an outfit to choosing a man.

Even though the decision had been made months ago (years if she counted the Time Chamber) she still questioned herself, now that the moment was near. She paused when she held Bra's phone, and had come upon a photo of Goten and Bra at the beach. She was in her favourite, white polka-dotted red bikini. She was smiling—she looked so happy. She really missed Goten. She ran her finger over the photo, and traced Goten's adorable smile.

Was it time? Was it really time? Was it her turn?

Her turn. She traced her own old light blue hair which cascaded beautifully over her shoulders in the photo. She loved her new hair, but she did miss the light blue. She missed everything about that day on the beach. She missed that point in time, and who she used to be. Was she choosing a man, or choosing an identity?

"I planned this," she told herself. "I planned this. This wouldn't be happening unless I'd planned this."

She didn't know if she was ready to break Trunks' heart. She pulled up Pan's phone, and flipped back to the photos of them together. It had been a long while. It was beyond painful to look at those images, and she put the phone down forcefully. She picked up Para's phone, and began scanning the most recent images. She noticed the protective, familiar way his arm wrapped around her on his recent birthday. She saw the genuine smile on his face.

Poor, lovely Trunks. He had trusted her, and look what she had done to him! Sharp icicle-like tears were pricking the back of her eyes painfully, but the tough part of Para was in control now, and she would not let them fall. She blinked them away. As she scanned through the photos, and saw one of Trunks driving in his car, and turning to smile at her, with his lavender locks blowing in the wind, it occurred to her that she felt closer to him than ever.

She understood the way that he had felt after he had betrayed her. Or did she? Was this the way he'd felt? Had he cared this much, and felt so awful? She closed her eyes. She didn't really want to hurt him, not deep down. She was chickening out. Could she conceal this from him, somehow?

Could she go back? Was this the moment?

When she heard the closet door open, her head jerked up in surprise. She had been so lost in thought that she had been unaware of the approaching ki. She saw Goten pop his head into her closet to peek at her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, shoving the three phones under a pile of clothes hastily.

"You gave me a key and said I could stay here," he reminded her.

"But there's another room," she told him. "There's another closet."

"That's true," he said, entering the closet and closing the door behind him. "But you're in this one."

"I need to think, Goten," she said, inching away. "I need some time to think about this."

"There's nothing to think about. We're meant to be together."

Para's insides ached. She scanned his mind and read that he was being honest. How could Goten feel that way about her when he didn't feel that way about Bra?

"I think we might have made a mistake," she told him softly.

"What do you mean, mistake?" he said angrily, as he advanced on her.

She found herself scooting backwards on the closet floor. "You know what I mean. I need to figure out what to do… about this. About us."

As he continued advancing, she continued scooting back. Her pink, fuzzy bathrobe did not offer much coverage, and large pockets of her skin began to become visible as the robe became distorted with her motion.

Goten crouched down over her, pulling the bow which held her robe together. When the robe fell apart, he began tracing his fingers along the contours of muscle in her stomach, pausing when his finger was in her bellybutton.

"There are no decisions to make. You're going to break it off with him, and you're going to be with me from now on."

She swallowed, and pulled away from him, rising to her feet. She re-fastened the robe around her body. "Goten, I really want to, but it's not that easy…" she began protesting, but she was cut off by his lips. She felt him grasp her by the waist and push her up against the wall, and before her legs were fully wrapped around him, he was already inside of her again.

She gasped and reflexively reached out to grab the clothing rack to stabilize herself, but she unintentionally ripped it from the wall, sending a massive avalanche of clothes to the floor.

"Goten!" she moaned, as he began moving inside of her. "My dresses!"

"Screw your dresses."

Para closed her eyes, unable to fight the amazing sensation which threatened to engulf her. "I can't concentrate," she whispered. "I have to get dressed. There's a party…"

"Forget it," he growled, as he thrust his erection into her warmth.

"Goten, stop!" she shouted. She pushed off the wall behind them so that he fell forward to the floor, on top of her pile of clothes. She went with him, landing on top of him, and hearing dozens of her hangars snapping under them. She opened her mouth to complain about her clothes, but she ended up laughing instead. Goten grinned back at her.

"So you want to be on top?" he asked, as he reached up to grasp her hips and guide himself back into her.

"Yes, please," she whispered, leaning down to kiss his collarbone. "Just lie there, and let me do the work."

When she began to move her body in slow waves on top of him, Goten began to groan. His fingers sunk deeply into her hips until they left deep red marks. She was strong, and the rhythmic swaying of her hips was almost too much for him to bear.

"Keep your ki down!" Para said, mocking him gently. She placed her hands on his chest, splaying her fingers over the muscle. On an impulse she pinched both of his nipples roughly. His body jerked in response, and she smiled.

"Do you think someone's going to come and check on us?" Goten asked. "Our power levels are kind of obvious." He tightened his grasp on her hips moved her up and down on his slick shaft as he spoke.

"What would you do?" she asked him, between little gasps. "What would you do if Vegeta or Gohan walked in right this second? Or Trunks?"

"Nothing. I would just pound you harder," he said, with a growl. He threw her down on his erection firmly as he thrust his hips upward to demonstrate. She found herself losing control although she was on top. Goten worked his hips in such a rhythmic way that Para lost her ability to form coherent thought.

Her head rolled back as she cried out, losing herself in the carnal sensation gripping her womb. She forced her hips down against him, fighting for more contact and more pressure. It was a sloppy, messy crushing together of bodies, as both struggled to get as close to the other as possible.

"You're losing control," he warned her, pausing. "You're almost Super Saiyan."

"I don't care," she said, as she leaned forward and clung to his neck, rocking her hips against him to take him deeper. "Ohhh, Goten… I'm so close…"

"You have to power down," he told her, panting heavily. "They can't find out about us like this."

"I need this," she begged, clutching him until her breasts mashed against his chest. "Please. I need you."

He understood. He began to more quickly rock his pelvis upward, sliding his engorged member quickly back and forth through her slick flesh. One of his hands slipped down over her bottom. His fingers began massaging her moist vulva, which had stretched to accept him. As his fingers became dampened with her juices, he moved them up to circle teasingly around her tender, neglected second orifice. She made a sound of encouragement, as she delighted in the wrongness of his touch. He slipped a finger into her bottom, and toyed with her as she continued to ride him. The combination of rare sensations, and his hands everywhere—just everywhere! It was simply too much to bear.

She closed her eyes tightly, seeing stars and a kaleidoscope of strange colors as she felt the tension in her body building, and building. She sighed ecstatically.

"Oh, Goten… it's been so long…"

As the pleasure possessed her, she forgot all of the confusion of who she was. Pan, Bra, Para? Saiyan or human? No, she was just a woman. She was just an animal. With one more thrust she felt herself approaching the brink—the point of no return. She hovered in suspension for a moment, holding her breath and praying that nothing would interfere and stop the explosion of ecstasy she could almost touch. Everything slowed down. She could not allow a spare thought into her mind. She could not think about anything, or she would not climax. She just had to relax and just let herself be.

When Goten slammed himself into her one final time, she felt the wall of ecstasy break.

She exhaled a shuddering breath as her body began to convulse on its own, her muscle contractions sending brilliant tremors of pleasure through her arched spine. The convulsions lasted several seconds, and she was vaguely aware that there was a sound coming from her throat. She had tossed her head back and was almost screaming as her hair flashed golden.

It was the most mind-blowing orgasm she had ever had in her life.

When the contractions came, and she caught her breath, she saw that Goten was smirking up at her with his hands folded behind his head.

"So did I return the favour?" he asked with his signature goofy grin.

She could not resist the burst of laughter that was bubbling up in her throat as she leaned forward to kiss him. "I need a shower," she mumbled against his lips. "You got me all sweaty."

"I don't mind," he said, reaching up to lazily run a hand over her back. "I like being sticky with you."

She tried to move away from him, but he caught her. Para groaned, shifting in discomfort. "No, seriously! It's a soaking wet mess down here. I'm leaking all over you."

"You can leak all over me any day," he said happily, before cuddling her with the expertise of a life-sized teddy-bear. "It means I did a good job."

Para's phone beeped once, and she jumped away from Goten nervously. "I have to get ready! I don't have anything to wear."

Goten reached to the pile of fallen clothes they had been rolling around in, and chose a sexy red dress. "Here, wear this."

"That's too slutty for a little girl's birthday party!" Para complained.

"Little girl?" Goten asked.

"Nyssa!" Para shouted.

"That's today?" Goten asked in surprise. "I forgot. I didn't get her anything."

"Trunks and I got her a present this morning," Para said. Saying his name made her feel guilty, and she put her head in her hands in dismay. "Shit, Goten. He's going to be there. What do we do?"

"I told you. You have to break it off with him," Goten told her. "You're with me now."

"No, I'm not!" Para exclaimed. "We just had sex—twice. What does that mean? I can't just do this to him. Trunks has been there for me…"

"Break it off with him," Goten told her firmly. He looked around, and chose a polka-dotted dress. He reached out and handed it to her. "Wear this one. I want you to sleep beside me tonight."

She stared down at the polka dots. "Goten…"

"I'm going out to buy Nyssa a present," he told her, as he moved to exit the closet. "You need to take responsibility and get it together."

When he had gone, leaving her naked on her closet floor, she exhaled in frustration.

"Get it together?" she repeated, feeling a bit insane. "I need to get it together? Fine. I will."

* * *

"And then he blushed like a little schoolgirl!" Videl said, before bursting into laugher. All the other women who were gathered around her at the picnic table joined in, while Gohan rubbed his temples in frustration. Vegeta lifted his eyebrows. Trunks was grinning, and even Para couldn't resist a chuckle at the expense of her father. There were a lot of heavier subjects on her mind, but no one was ever too stressed out to find amusement in how nerdy Gohan could be.

Except for Goten. Goten stood off to the side of the party (even further away from the group than Vegeta) leaning against a tree with a stormy look on his face. No one seemed to really notice or worry about his erratic behavior.

The little girls were also at a distance from the grown-ups, roasting marshmallows over a little campfire. Nyssa and Olive had been experimenting with using their ki to roast the marshmallows, and this resulted in many charred, burnt lumps.

Marron had been laughing so hard that she hiccupped. It was the first time she had allowed herself to drink in almost two years. She reached out and retrieved her strawberry daiquiri from the picnic table to indulge in another blissful sip. Her drink was interrupted by a sticky hand tugging on her arm. She looked down, surprised to see that her daughter was not playing with her sister.

"Mama, I'm sleepy," Nyssa whined, putting her thumb in her mouth. "Take me upstairs for a bedtime story?"

Marron looked around at her friends and family, and felt a pang of dismay that she had to leave them so soon. "Sure, birthday girl…"

"No, Mar—it's okay. I'll do it. Let me take the girls to bed," Uub interjected. He tilted his chin down to gesture at their toddler, who was asleep in his arms. "I've got to take Oren to bed too."

Para stared at the adorable baby asleep against Uub's chest. Oren's mouth was slightly open, and he looked so much like his dad that the two were a perfect picture. She could not resist a smile, and she could not help overhearing Trunks' similar thoughts.

_Uub's such a great father, _Trunks was thinking as he placed a hand on Para's back and drew circles absentmindedly. _I wonder if I would make a good father. Can't be worse than my dad—but I'll set the bar a bit higher than that. _He turned to look at Para, and gave her a warm smile, which she nervously returned.

His hand felt like it was burning a hole into her back, and she jerked away from him anxiously. She almost felt as though if he touched her, he would know what she had done. But wasn't that the whole point? Didn't she want to betray him so that he could feel the way that she had felt? She bit her lip, and lifted her eyes to glance across the picnic table to the woods where Goten stood in the shadows, watching her obsessively.

Para swallowed, as visions of what she had done with Goten danced through her mind. She remembered him moving atop her in the Lookout. Sliding into her. She remembered him beneath her in the closet. Grinding against her. Imagining it was as bad as doing it, apparently, and her lower muscles contracted in longing. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment to be thinking all this in front of Trunks and her family members, and she lowered her head and pretended to be focused on her drink. Thank Kami no one else could read minds!

"Hey son-in-law, let me take the little guy!" Krillen was saying as he hit Uub in the arm lightly. "I'm pretty tired myself, so I don't mind putting the kidlets to bed."

"Are you sure, pops?" Uub asked.

"Yeah! Don't sweat it," Krillen said, as he reached out and carefully took his grandson from Krillen. "Wowzers, he's growing like a weed! He's half my size already."

"Which is _so _large," Android 18 commented dryly. Marron giggled at this, and so did a few of the other women.

"That's wives for you!" Krillen said with a sigh. "Uub, Gohan, Vegeta—you guys feel me, right?"

"I do not wish to feel any part of you," Vegeta responded. Bulma began to chortle at this again.

Krillen shook his head, shifting Oren so that he held him with one arm. He extended one arm to Nyssa. "Come on, kiddo. Let's go read you one of your favourite stories."

"Oh, goody! Thanks, grampa!" Nyssa said with a smile as she jumped up and down and grabbed Krillen's hand. Para felt a small pang of sadness at the sight of the young girl with her grandfather. When Goku had been around, she too had been innocent, safe, and good.

"Should I come along?" Android 18 asked her husband, preparing to swing her legs off the picnic table.

"No, hun. I know that you're not tired, so you should stay here and enjoy the party with the young people. You are technically the youngest adult here, after all."

With a sad smile, Krillen turned away and began walking away with Nyssa. There was a moment of silence, as everyone registered his words. The modifications performed on Android 18's body had preserved her youth and made her perpetually a young woman. She was physically younger and more energetic than even her own daughter.

"Is it hard?" Bulma asked Android 18 gently. "Is it hard watching him age while you stay exactly the same?

"You mean to ask whether I would rather be an old bat like you with a virile young man?" Android 18 asked harshly.

"No, I just…"

"Yeah," Android 18 said softly. "I'd rather be an old bat like you if it meant Krillen wouldn't be old and sick."

Chi-Chi reached out and placed a hand on Android 18's hand comfortingly. "It's the natural course of things, dear," Chi-Chi said softly. Then she smiled. "Poor Krillen. He's losing all that hair you made him grow."

Android 18 grinned at this. "Good things never last! Relax guys—let's turn up the music. Come on Chi-Chi! Show us those rockin' signature dance moves of yours."

"You mean the Tai-Chi-Chi?" she asked, with a smile. "The perfect combination of Martial Arts and dance? Of course I will! And you kids should watch carefully, because you might learn a thing or two from this old gal!"

When Uub moved over to the sound system to crank up the beats, Chi-Chi dragged Bulma out onto the dance floor. The two old women began to dance like they hadn't aged a day since Buu was defeated. Para could not help laughing at the sight, and feeling a sense of warmth and belonging. Her mother and grandmother were crazy and wild—those two would never let age drag them down. And she had to admit—the Tai-Chi-Chi dance was pretty badass. Her grandmother's dance moves were a series of intimidating martial arts poses, while Bulma's were more seductive.

"Well, Gohan, aren't you going to ask me to dance?" Videl shouted at her husband over the music.

"Sorry, Videl, I was just thinking…"

"You're always thinking!" she said with a laugh as she pulled him out onto the grass.

Uub put his hands around Marron's waist and lifted her into the air, spinning her around and around. Marron laughed and threw her arms out.

When he lowered her and pulled her against him, she smiled. "It is _so_ nice to get a break from the kids and just relax!" she told him.

"We'll have plenty of breaks when they're in college," Uub said with a grin. Marron chuckled at this, knowing that it would be a long time before that happened. This made the adults-only party after the kiddie birthday even more precious to her. She allowed Uub to sweep her off her feet in a thrilling dance—he was a rather good dancer.

When Trunks started to rise to his feet, Para placed a hand on his arm. "You go ahead," she said softly. "I'm not in the mood."

"What's wrong?" Trunks asked her.

"I've just had a very long day," she told him.

"You do too much, sweetheart," he told her, sitting back down and hugging her shoulders. "I know you had a session with my dad this morning—so why did you feel the need to let Goten abuse your body?"

"What?" she asked reflexively, her heart skipping a beat. The heat of humiliation began spreading through her chest.

"You were sparring with Goten this afternoon, right?"

"Yeah," she said softly. She felt suddenly as tired as she had lied about being. She leaned her head against Trunks to hide her shameful face against his arm. She felt sick about what she had done. She had wronged him, and now she was using him for comfort. He reached out and laced his fingers with hers. She felt sick at his touch, but she felt empty without it and could not bring herself to pull away.

Trunks and Para watched their family members dancing and having a good time for several minutes. Finally, Trunks began to smile as he restlessly tapped his toes. He could no longer sit still.

"Sure you don't want to dance?" he asked her, giving her a gentle nudge. "I love this song."

She looked up at his pleading blue eyes and knew that he had won. "Fine," she mumbled. "Just one song."

"Okay—then we'll go home and you can get your well-deserved rest." He kissed her on the cheek lightly, and her stomach twisted into knots. She glanced over to where Goten still lurked in the shadows.

"Doesn't Goten seem to be acting a bit strange?" she asked Trunks nervously.

Trunks laughed. "Didn't he tell you? His mommy kicked him out of the house. He's just grumpy about it, that's all."

"I see," Para said, as she allowed Trunks to pull her to the grassy makeshift dance floor.

Trunks smiled as he pulled Para's body close to his, as they both levitated off the ground. There was no need to dance on the ground when both partners could fly. The air was less confining to their movements. Para found herself placing her hands on Trunks' shoulders and running them down the length of his arms as the lyrics of the song began.

_Oh baby, don't you know I suffer?_  
_Oh baby, can you hear me moan?_  
_You caught me under false pretenses_  
_How long before you let me go?_

"You work so hard," Trunks whispered in her ear. "Tonight let me give you a massage."

"That would be nice," Para said quietly.

"Maybe we could take a bubble bath together," he suggested.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked suspiciously. "Why do I get all of these goodies?"

"Because I love you," he said earnestly.

She closed her eyes and leaned back against him. Yes, he was the perfect boyfriend.

_You set my soul alight_  
_You set my soul alight_

But it was too fucking late for him to be the perfect boyfriend!

_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the supermassive_  
_Glaciers melting in the dead of night_  
_And the superstars sucked into the supermassive_

Para felt a pair of dark, angry eyes on her, and she knew that Goten was watching with displeasure from the shadows. _I wanted to do this, _she thought to herself, _but I wanted to do it mechanically and professionally. I didn't want to feel it. Is it possible to turn back now? Is it possible…_

_I thought I was a fool for no one_  
_Oh baby, I'm a fool for you_  
_You're the queen of the superficial_  
_And how long before you tell the truth?_

She ripped herself away from Trunks.

"I have to go," she told him. "Just… excuse me for a few minutes. I'm going to run inside and grab a glass of water."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"It's fine—just stay here and enjoy the music. I just have a headache."

Trunks watched her go in confusion. He moved back to the picnic table and picked up his drink. He glanced over to where Goten was standing in the woods. His friend was acting pretty funny. He moved over to Goten, with a large smile on his face.

"Why are you way over here, man?"

"Not in a social mood."

"You've gotta relax," Trunks said. "Medea's all stressed out too."

"What's her deal?" Goten asked, gesturing after Para with his chin.

"Beats me." Trunks shrugged. "Women, you know? I have no idea how their minds work."

"Yeah, man," Goten said, eyeing his friend jealously. "Good luck with that."

* * *

Para walked into the kitchen, rubbing her sweaty nervous hands on her polka-dotted dress. She sighed, and ran her hands through her hair, dragging her fingernails roughly across her scalp in frustration. When she reached the kitchen sink, she gripped the edge of it tightly and leaned forward. For a second, she thought that she might vomit.

She took slow, deep breaths. After a moment, she reached for a large clear glass which was near the sink. She opened the tap, and filled it with cold water. She poured the water down her throat, savoring its purity. The cool water made her feel better. She filled another glass, and was lifting the glass to her lips when a masculine hand covered hers, causing her to pause in her transport of the liquid. She stared at the tanned, taut skin, pulled over thick, muscled fingers. She saw the bulging veins just beneath the skin. His fingers resting on top of hers sent tingles of electricity into her core.

Para felt the touch of lips and stubble against her neck, and she reflexively closed her eyes. She felt a warm hand splayed out on her stomach, and her heart-rate seemed to instantly increase.

"You wore the polka-dotted dress."

Para's lips parted, but no sound came out. She tried again. "Goten, I made a mistake."

"Yeah, you did. You made a mistake when you chose him. You belong with me."

His hand moved higher to cup her breast. He began confidently massaging her flesh, as if to declare ownership of her body. Her knees weakened.

"This is Marron's house," she whispered.

"It's not a holier place than Kami's Lookout," he said against her neck. He grabbed her waist and spun her around, pushing her up against the sink. He grabbed the bodice of her polka-dotted dress and tugged it down in order to put his lips around her nipple. He pulled it between his teeth.

Para gasped at the sensation. "Everyone's right outside," she protested in a low voice.

"They're not going to come in here," he told her, as he slipped his hand under her dress. When he pushed his fingers inside of her, the glass of water fell from her hand and shattered on the ground. Goten laughed at this, and moved to cover her mouth with his.

Without really intending to, Para felt herself kissing back with all the intensity she felt from being pent up and yearning for him for months.

"Are you going to leave him for me?" Goten asked, pumping his fingers into her.

"I don't know."

"Wrong answer." He hit her g-spot and she had a small, shuddering orgasm. "Are you going to leave him?"

"Yes," she said weakly, impressed with his ability to do that to her. It took all of her restraint to keep her ki from spiking when he touched her.

"Good, because I need you."

Not that they needed more kink, considering he was partly her uncle and she was in a relationship with his best friend, but it added an extra naughty element to know that everyone was so nearby. The kids were sleeping upstairs, and the parents were all just a few feet away. But a question nagged at the back of her mind.

"What about Bra?" she asked him.

"Bra?" he murmured, as if he had forgotten who the name belonged to.

"Yes," Para said, pausing and pulling away. She held onto the countertop to support her weak knees. "Weren't you with her for like five years or something?"

"Bra means nothing to me!"

Para froze. A strange combination of anger and revulsion began to blossom in her heart. "Say that again."

"It's the truth," Goten said, as he moved closer to Para. "I haven't even heard a thing from her in ages. The last time I saw her she was dating whatshisface, so she's obviously moved on. So have I. The past is the past."

"I need to hear you say those words again, so I can believe them. Look me in the eyes and say it," Para demanded.

"Bra means absolutely nothing to me."

Para closed her eyes briefly. She began to nod, and a small smile came to her lips. "That's lovely. I can see that you're telling the truth. Well, then—why don't you kiss me, baby?"

When his lips met hers, she knew that everything was falling into place. She wouldn't ask him to do it. She imagined what she wanted, and she planted the thought in his mind. Everything would happen exactly the way she planned it.

"I want to taste you," Goten said, as he lifted her so that the cold edge of the kitchen sink pressed against her bottom. He pushed the fabric of her polka-dotted dress up to around her hips

She felt a thrill with the approaching of the moment. Her body was burning with wrongful desire, and her mind was burning with righteous rage. She had completely abandoned herself to the moment—the build-up of the moment that she had waited months for. She felt so strongly about it that she began to feel detached. She began to feel as though she were outside of herself.

Which is why when she reached out and dug her perfectly-manicured blue nails into Goten's hair, she knew exactly what was about to happen. Which is why when her head swung back in mock abandon and collided with Marron's cabinets, she was completely acting the part of a careless, wanton woman. She was many things, but she was not careless. Para was meticulous and calculating, and this was the culmination of the most careful calculations. It had taken the ultimate premeditation to look so sloppy and thoughtless.

Goten did not care about anything in the world—or so he liked to declare. But it was not true. He did care about one person more than anything. He did love one person more than his mother and father, more than his big brother. He did love that person more than Bra, because he had obviously not retained much feeling for Bra since he'd been separated from her for a few months. He did love someone more than his niece, because he had allowed that person to hurt his niece and he had never stood up for her.

Goten loved Trunks more than life itself. He had never really had another friend. He had never cared about anyone or anything else. His best friend was the centre of his universe.

So when Para felt the ki approaching, she reached down and grabbed Goten to distract him by pressing her lips against his mouth. She tasted own sweetness from his lips, and she wondered why her body didn't taste as bitter and sour as her heart. She felt the ki approaching, and her heart began beating faster. This was the moment. Her skirt was bunched up around her waist, exposing her whole lower half as Goten stood compromisingly between her legs. She wrapped her legs around Goten's waist, and allowed one of her high heels to fall off her feet.

So, she was certain that it looked as bad as it was when the ki rounded the corner. She continued kissing Goten greedily, as her victim entered the room. Her eyes were closed, so she felt him before she saw him. She felt him, and she felt the betrayal hitting him like an asteroid.

"…Goten?" he asked.

Goten stopped kissing her, and slowly opened his eyes. Para did just as he did, and she beheld the true fear in the man's expression. It was a fear far deeper than the kind one felt when facing an enemy. It was the fear one had when one knew they were about to lose the one person in the world that had always been by their side. It was the fear one had when they were about to lose their best friend. It was the way Bra had felt when she had lost Goten. It was the way Pan had felt when she had seen Trunks with another woman.

Goten ripped his face away from Para, and turned to look at the man who had entered the room. His heart sank when he saw the look in his friend's eyes. He stared, transfixed for a moment in pain and regret, until he saw that the wounded blue eyes were turning green.

"Fuck," said Goten.

* * *

That wasn't a dream. It really happened.

* * *

**jazzyfizzler:** JAZZY'S BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

*takes a deep breath* Okay, so when I read your review I got soooo excited because I haven't received a review from you in like FOREVER! MONTHS! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! Hahaha, so as you know, I have posted this chappy up as per your request. Thank you a gazillion times for your excitement and caps over the last chapter. There's no one like you!

**anon:** I can't believe you thought that was one of the best chapters! Your review simply warms my heart, so thank you so much. =) Since Goten is your favourite char, I really hope that you enjoyed this chappy! Much love. =)

**Zi-Dawg:** Your. Review. Was. Awesome. I read it over several times because I simply loved the way you expressed your emotions through the chapter! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback, because it really gives me an awesome energy boost. Hehehe. =D You needn't kill me, because here is your super-fast update! ^-^

**Arian:** Youuuuuuuuu! Well, I already thanked you on FB so you know how happy I was to receive your review, but I must take this opportunity to say it again… THANK YOUUUU! =) It means a lot to me to hear from a male reader, and I CANNOT wait to hear what you thought of this one. Hehehe. =)

**Talk smith kid:** Thank you for your review! I couldn't really hurt Goten… just puling your leg a little. =) I love him too much.

**KarinKurosakiHitsugaya913:** Thanks for your review! I hope you liked how everything turned out! ^-^

**Anmylica:** Ye of little faith! I would not dare to deviate from the plan. =) Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed my execution of the long-awaited betrayal.

**manazmama1:** Awwww, I'm so touched that you were in tears! Yes, Zvarin really does take cheap shots, doesn't he? I really hope you enjoy the update! Thank you once again for reviewing!

**Suzki:** Hahaha, you're right. It is funny thinking about Trunks and Para's sex life. I kind of imagine she got so used to it that she hardly notices he's her brother anymore! Thanks for the review!

**mali86:** Sorry about the cliffhanger! Thank you for your review, and I hope you liked the update!

**junexxx:** Thank you! Here you go!

**nite-fire:** My apologies for making you addicted! Lol, but it is so lovely to hear that you care so much about the story! Thank youuuuuu! *hug* =) I hope you liked what I did here… well, I can't wait to hear what you think!

**KayuraK:** I loved your review, mainly because you cursed a lot. =) Thankies for all your feedback and support—and for naming a character after me in your fic! I hope you get tons of uplifting reviews on your stories, and I will be sure to keep reading.

**AbStRaCt DaRkNeSs:** Your review was the first one I received, and you made me do a happy dance for like ten minutes. Thank you for helping me to burn hundreds of calories! :D

**famoso:** Thank you for your review! I am sorry again it took me so long to update, and hope this makes up for it. You guessed right, as always! =D

**shahi:** I am so glad you thought the wait was worthwhile! Thanks for your comments on Trunks' POV of manipulation. It's scary what goes on inside the minds of guys. Thank you so much for mentioning the Goten's childhood stuff! I really thought long and hard to figure out how to justify why he was so disturbed and unhappy, and I brought it all back to that one moment in the Buu saga. I am sooooo delighted to receive such a thoughtful review! ^-^ Thanks a million!

**LNCrow:** Hahaha, I hope you like where this went! I wasn't tough enough to go through with killing Goten, lol. Thanks for reviewing! =D

**jazzberry:** Thank you for your feedback! I know you think I took a step in the right direction last chappy, but the truth is… it was all a dream. Psych! =) If you keep reading me for a while, you'll get used to this kind of thing.

**Marie Fortune:** Good question! The first three chappies of this fic just came to me all at once and I couldn't stop writing. I put them out there, not knowing if anyone would like it, just to gauge everyone's reaction. I was shocked at the positive response, and then I began realizing I had to put some serious planning into the story and make it worthwhile. I chatted long and hard with many readers, especially Anmylica at first, telling them my ideas and learning theirs. As the story progressed, I started to get in touch with more and more readers through Facebook, like Maggie and Melody, and they have kept me fired up with tons of ideas, helped with beta-reading, and pushing me onward. In short, I really could not have done this, and I could not keep doing this without you guys—my lovely reviewers, many of whom have become very close friends.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I am honored to have the best readers in the world, and I love you guys to death. I'm being serious here.

It may be a little while before I can update, because I need to go and write another book now. It's probably going to be called "Boundless Sea" and be the third book in my fantasy series. Three full novels! I can hardly believe I've written so much, and still, it isn't nearly enough. In May/June I will be doing a blog tour and hopefully getting some national media coverage somewhere for my novels. Here's hoping! *crosses fingers*

This summer I intend to dedicate an immense amount of time to this story. I'm also re-writing it as an original series- apparently, some re-written fanfics have made it to the top of the New York Times Bestseller list. (Fifty Shades of Grey) I'm sure everyone and their cousin's sister's dog is going to be jumping on the bandwagon and publishing their fanfics, but trust me when I say that I'M GOING TO BE JUMPING ON THE BANDWAGON HARDER. I WANT THAT LIST. I CAN DO THIS. RAHHHHHHH! *powers up special author-ki*

Until next time, you can always catch me on Facebook! Just search for Nadia Scrieva. I made the name up, so I'll be your only result.  
I respond well to pressure, so if you really want an update, I encourage you to pressure me.  
In case you can't tell, reviews are my whole world.


	26. Pain Beyond Feeling

_Chapter Twenty-Six: Pain Beyond Feeling_

This is the first time this chapter has been released on this website! It was the first of five Facebook-only chapters that only my super-duper fans got to read. Now it's here for everyone! Please enjoy!

~Nadia

* * *

"What have I done?" she whispered. Moisture from her eyes had been sliding down her face for hours, but there was now only a dry, salty residue. She was huddled in a corner of the dark cave, alternating between sobbing and laughing hysterically. Her fingers clawed at the ground beneath where she sat, idly scraping at handfuls of dirt as though she were digging her own grave. "What have I done?"

"Shhhh. It wasn't your fault." She felt comforting fingers moving through her hair. "I was the one who made you do it. I was the one who forced you…"

"Stop," she told him, pushing his hand away. His touch caused shame to spread through her, but as soon as he was a few inches away from her skin, the loneliness was overpowering. She panicked and pulled him back, needing to keep contact. She pressed her cheek against his bicep, closing her eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry," Goten said as he hugged her against him. He had been repeating the words miserably for the past several hours. "I'm so sorry."

"He was crying," Para whispered. "I didn't know he cared that much."

"Of course he did. He cared… quite a lot, actually."

Para drew a shuddering breath and mashed her forehead against Goten's shoulder. Her head ached, and touching him was the only thing that soothed her.

"I was the one who didn't care," Goten said, staring forward blankly. "I didn't think it would bother me until I saw the look on his face. Man, that hurt worse than…"

When the saiyan's voice trailed off into silence, Para pressed him onward weakly. "What?" she asked. "Worse than what?"

She felt Goten shrug gently under her face as he tried to escape the memory. "It just… hurting him hurt worse than when I hurt Bra."

Para stiffened and pulled away then, even though she knew that she would be clinging to him again within the minute. _Yeah, I bet it did hurt more. _She released a small sob and dug her fingernails into her knees. _Is this what I wanted to accomplish? Is this my victory?_

"But I want you to be mine," Goten said, brushing her hair aside and pressing his lips against the back of her neck. "I would do it again in a heartbeat. Would you?"

"Absolutely," she said, turning to crush her lips against his desperately. "I would do it again ten times. It's worth it to be with you."

Goten cupped her chin in one hand, rubbing her cheek idly with one thumb. "We broke his heart, you know."

_That was kind of the whole idea. _Para nodded. "Yeah. If it weren't for Vegeta…" She bit her lip.

"You would have been able to defend me," Goten said. "You can reach the third level, and that makes you stronger than him."

"I was too emotional," Para said, shaking her head. "I couldn't move. I couldn't think. Thank god for Vegeta."

"I dunno," Goten said with a shrug. "I think I would have deserved whatever I got."

"You think _wrong,"_ she said firmly. "Look, I know it hurts now, but I promise we'll feel better in the morning. We all just need to… cool down."

"Cool down?" Goten repeated with a snort. "There's no cooling down from this. There's no going back. I lost my best friend. My mom has disowned me. Marron threw a drink in my face and Uub ordered me off his property."

"She doesn't blame you. I'm the one she called a slut," Para said faintly. "Marron is my only friend, and if she won't stand by me…"

"I'm your friend," Goten said.

"You don't even know who I am," Para said miserably.

"I know enough." He reached out to grasp Para's waist and tugged her close to him so that she was sitting between his legs. He nuzzled her ear and neck fondly. "No matter what, I'll stand by you. It's us against the world."

"It was supposed to be," Para murmured softly as she leaned back against him. "Can you get my purse?"

Goten compliantly stretched out and retrieved the red leather bag. Para took it from his hands, digging inside of it to retrieve a small black case. She flipped it open to reveal her tranquilizing kit—she had not used it for a while, but she had continued to carry it with her in case of emergency.

"What are you doing?" Goten asked, recoiling from the sight of the needles.

Para used her teeth to rip the protective wrapping off a syringe before jabbing the point into a vial of liquid. She began extracting the tranquilizer carefully, tripling the dose she had used regularly in the past. "This will make me sleep," she answered. "Maybe I'll feel better when I wake up."

"That doesn't sound like the best solution," Goten said, putting his hands over hers to stop her from sticking the needle into her arm.

She immediately grew upset. "Do you have a better idea?"

"Yes," he answered. "Do me first."

"What?"

"Do you have enough to put me asleep too?"

"Yes, but…" Para hesitated. "One of us needs to stay awake and keep watch. If he finds us, he'll kill you."

"If he kills me, I deserve to die," Goten answered. "Best friends don't do what I did."

"Best friends do what you did every day."

"But we're saiyans…"

"Saiyans are even more physical than humans. You heard what Vegeta said…"

"It doesn't matter," Goten said. He moved her hands to position the needle above his own arm. "I really don't care anymore. Just do it."

She looked up into his eyes for confirmation. "Are you sure you don't want to be awake to defend yourself?"

"Yeah. If you're sleeping, I want to be sleeping beside you. I want to live in a dream with you and forget all of this." Goten gritted his teeth. "Do it!"

Para sighed and nodded. "Okay. Relax so it can penetrate your skin. Lower your ki even further than it already is." When he complied, she stabbed the needle into his arm, causing him to wince in pain.

"I hate those things," he said after a moment. "How long does it take to…"

He was already sliding to the floor before he could finish the sentence. Para crawled closer to him, looking down at his innocent face lovingly. "I'm sorry, Goten," she said, leaning forward to kiss his eyes. "You think it hurts now. Just wait and see. This is nothing. This wasn't even about you."

Para stroked his hair tenderly for several more seconds before she extracted the needle from his arm. She was about to discard the needle in a sanitary way and prepare a second for her own sedation, when she frowned, studying the drops of Goten's blood on the thin metallic spike. _What does it matter? _She used the same needle to extract a heavier dose of tranquilizer from the vial. As she plunged the tiny spear into her vein, she felt a strange thrill at the rebelliousness and intimacy of sharing a needle. She forced an unusually high quantity into her bloodstream before letting her head fall against Goten's chest.

She linked her fingers with Goten's before blissful sleep took her, and her last strange thought was of Romeo and Juliet. Para smiled as her heavy eyelids fluttered closed. _It would have been better if I had poisoned us both, my love._

* * *

_Earlier that day…_

Trunks could tell that something was wrong. Had she suffered through a bad day at the hospital? She sometimes became depressed for a few days when she lost a patient. Had she overexerted herself training after work? He had been surprised when he had felt her ki skyrocketing before Nyssa's party; he hadn't known that she intended to train. She did so much. It had felt like she was at Kami's Lookout—had she received some bad news about the upcoming battle? He felt that there must be some awful underlying reason for how distant she had been acting throughout the birthday party. She had hardly engaged in conversation with anyone, and had spent most of the evening flicking ants away from the picnic table. When a fly buzzed by, intent on savoring the aromas wafting up from the foods, Medea had grabbed a napkin faster than any of the humans at the table could perceive. Her nimble fingers had darted out to capture and crush the poor winged insects in her napkin before letting their corpses tumble off the picnic table.

He had observed this behavior in confusion, wondering what was troubling her. She was normally a high-spirited girl, full of smiles and jaunty humor. There was only one explanation: something really stressful must have happened to her, and she was trying to conceal it to spare him from sharing her troubles. She was very considerate that way.

Excusing himself from his family at the picnic table, Trunks knew he needed to find Medea. He needed to let her know that she did not have to suffer her anxieties on her own—she was no longer alone. He would find a way to ease her mind and make her feel better. He smiled, thinking about all the ways he could cheer her up as he headed towards Marron's house.

Trunks could not help admiring the way Uub kept his lawn perfectly manicured. The garden outside the house was decorated by vibrant blossoms in every imaginable color. It made him smile to think of his old friend Marron tending to the landscaping while her kids ran around playing. The sweet domestic scenes warmed his heart and made him think about his own future. He only knew one thing for certain. The indigo-haired woman from the future, regardless of whoever she was and wherever she came from, was his future. It felt right when they were together; he felt calm.

When he pushed in the door to the Chestnut home, he was met with a surprise. A little girl was wearing pajamas and trudging woefully down the stairs. She dragged a stuffed giraffe behind her by its leg.

"Uncle Trunks, will you tell me a story?" she asked hopefully.

"I thought your grandpa was going to read you one?" Trunks said in confusion.

"Grandpa Krillen fell asleep!" Nyssa exclaimed with a pout. "He didn't even get to the ending. You hafta tell me a better story, and this time I want to hear the ending."

Trunks smiled. "Sure, Nyssa. I would love to, but do you mind if I check on Medea first? She went to the kitchen and she's been taking a bit too long."

"What's wrong with Auntie M?" Nyssa asked with worry.

"She's just stressed out."

"Because of the big monster?" Nyssa asked with excitement. "I've been training every day, and when he comes, I want to fight too!"

"You can't…" Trunks began to sternly scold the girl that she should remove this idea from her head immediately, but then he remembered the way he had been at her age. A smile came to his lips as he remembered how excited he and Goten had been about fighting Buu. It had all seemed like a big game at first… even after their parents had been killed, it had still seemed like a fun competition. It had been in their saiyan blood to lust for battle, but Nyssa was only human.

"I'm stronger than my sister and she's older than me," Nyssa was telling him earnestly. "Mommy said that Daddy used to be a big pink monster in a different lifetime, and that's why-come he's so strong."

This surprised Trunks. He realized that Nyssa was, in fact, the daughter of Buu. Maybe he could relate to her more than he had previously imagined.

"Isn't that cool?" Nyssa asked. "So maybe I have a secret special power too since…"

Trunks' head moved sharply to the side when he heard what sounded like glass shattering. His saiyan hearing was stimulated by the distant sound, and he frowned, knowing that it was coming from the kitchen. Medea had said she was going to have a drink of water to make herself feel better. Trunks immediately imagined that she had collapsed in the kitchen, spilling her drink. Was something wrong with her health—was she ill? He tried to think over Nyssa's incessant babbling. Medea had seemed very out of sorts in the past few days, and today she seemed to be in a different world altogether. Could she possibly be pregnant? The idea made him excited.

"Uncle Trunks, you're not_ listening _to me!" Nyssa said with frustration. "It's my birthday and no one is paying any attention to me! Everyone treats me like I'm just some stupid kid!"

His head snapped back to Nyssa in surprise. He felt a pang of regret, suddenly noticing that Nyssa was now sporting one of the new orange headbands which Medea had chosen for her. This accessory nestled in her dark curls clearly brought another feisty young girl to mind, one who had often made vehement declarations of her own maturity. He reached out to put a hand on her head gently.

"Sorry, Nyssa," he said kindly. "I bet you're almost as strong as your Grandpa Krillen by now, right?"

"Yeah!" she said, bouncing happily. "There was even this one time…"

Trunks frowned as his ears picked up what sounded like a gasp. _"Are you going to leave him?"_ When he heard this, in what sounded like an angry whisper, his face froze. He could recognize the voice that was speaking better than his own. He tried to strain to hear more, but Nyssa was pulling on his arm.

"…a really good story! So Grandpa Krillen just fell asleep, and he's snoring sooo loudly. Please, Uncle Trunks, I can't sleep. I have lots and lots of energy. You need to tell me a story!"

He could not focus on the sounds coming from the kitchen while Nyssa was chattering, so he simply nodded. "Sure, kid. Whatever you want." He tried to appease her so that she would remain quiet. He heard a hiss traveling from the kitchen: _"Bra means nothing to me!"_ He scowled at these words. Goten and Medea seemed to be having some kind of heated argument. He could hear their whispers and the urgency in their tones.

"Hey, Nyssa, can you wait here for a sec?" Trunks asked uneasily. "I think Medea is in trouble and she might need my help. I'll be back in a minute and I'll read you any story you like. Promise."

"Really, _really_ promise?" Nyssa asked with big eyes.

"Sure," he answered, "you're the birthday girl after all!" He reached out to pick her up from the ground and swung her around rapidly in the air, making her giggle, before planting her to sit comfortably on the stairs. "Just wait right here and don't move a muscle!"

"Okay," she said cheerfully, hugging her stuffed giraffe.

Trunks began moving toward the kitchen, feeling confused about why the two saiyans in the kitchen were fighting. He realized that Goten might know what was wrong with Medea since they had recently trained. He had not physically sparred with Medea in a very long time, being too absorbed in his own work. It was possible that there was a health issue that Goten had discovered which Medea was trying to conceal. Knowing his best friend, the younger saiyan was probably trying to get his girlfriend to come clean and tell Trunks what was the matter. As he approached, he could hear the sounds of struggle grow louder.

When a cabinet door slammed loudly, and Medea's ki spiked noticeably, Trunks moved forward to push open the kitchen door. When his hand connected with the wooden panel and shifted it aside, his eyes registered fragments of a scene that wouldn't fit together to make sense.

A flash of a polka-dotted dress.

Tanned fingers digging into a creamy thigh.

Calves curled and locked around a man's body.

The graceful curve of a feminine ankle, and a high heel dangling off toes. Trunks stared at the shoe as it fell to the ground with a clatter.

He gazed at the expensive slipper intently for a moment, fixating on its patent leather sole and the high arch from toe to heel. It was a moment before his eyes traveled upward, disbelieving what they saw as his best friend shoved Medea up against the kitchen sink, sliding her short skirt higher up around her waist. He watched as his friend slid his hands over the girl's bare hips, leaning forward and devouring her mouth. He tried to process what he was seeing, but he could only keep seeing. He could not stop seeing. He was completely incapable of forming a reaction.

His lips parted, but not even a whisper of air traveled through them. He saw Medea's fingernails knotted in a mass of disorderly dark hair, and he saw her legs tighten around his friend's waist. He saw his friend dragging her body down against his to…

"Goten…"

The sound had escaped his own throat, and he had not even realized that it was his own voice. He saw the pair of lovers pause in their carnal, frantic embrace. His friend slowly released the woman's hips, turning around to look behind him as he still stood between her legs. Their eyes met, and Trunks could see the mortification in Goten's dark brown irises. He could see the guilt, the shame, and… the remnants of lust. Goten had been lusting after_ his_ girlfriend.

Trunks did not realize what was happening when he found himself moving forward, his hair suddenly golden and his eyes suddenly green.

"Fuck," Goten said, pulling away from Para abruptly. He moved into a battle stance instinctively, holding up both of his hands in surrender. "Listen, man…"

A second later, Trunks would have surely caused physical harm to his best friend if not for a hand pressing firmly against his chest. He saw that Para had rapidly rearranged her clothing and moved to place herself between the men.

"Please don't," she said softly, "don't hurt him. It's my fault, Trunks. Take it out on me."

He turned to look at her sweet face, and allowed her velvety words to sink into his mind. He grasped her hand that was resting on his chest, realizing quite suddenly that his greatest fear was losing her. His hair abruptly softened, falling into soft, lavender locks around his cheeks. He took a deep, shuddering breath before looking from Para to Goten, making painful, lingering eye contact with both of them. He could see quite clearly on both of their faces that they were both ashamed of their actions, and they both loved him dearly. He nodded, knowing that he needed to be mature about this. He nodded again. This sort of thing happened—it had happened to him!

Trunks suddenly was seized by the memory of being with the woman in his office—the redhead Karina Allbright. He remembered Pan walking in and seeing them together, and the look of pain and rage in her eyes. She had seen him in a similar position, with Karina's legs wrapped around him, and her skirt bunched up around her hips. He had done this to Pan—and he had never realized the way she had truly felt about it until now. Thinking about Pan made tears spring to his eyes.

He had lost one incredible saiyan woman already. He knew he would never recover from that loss, and he could not bear to lose another. Not when things were finally coming together in his life, not when he was finally beginning to settle into a comfortable rhythm again. He knew that he needed to act mature about this. He took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself and sort out the mess in his mind. He needed to respond to this situation in a civilized way. He did not realize that his whole body was shaking, and that the tears had begun to pour down his cheeks. He nodded again.

"Trunks," Para said in surprise, moving closer to him. She touched his face, wiping his tears away. "I'm so sorry. Oh, god, Trunks…"

"It's okay," he told her suddenly. He tilted his face down to meet hers and smiled at her through his tears. "I'm upset, but I'll get past this. I'm a grown up." When he saw that neither of the two offenders could respond, he nodded firmly, looking from one to the other. "Let's just forget about this. It's fine."

Para hesitated, staring at him fearfully. He reached out to touch her arm, and she flinched slightly at the contact.

"Come, Medea. Let's get out of here. Let's go home and forget about this."

She had not expected this reaction. She had not expected him to be so… calm. Para could see how violently his body was shaking, and she could feel the crackling of his ki in the air around him. She could see that he was struggling to fight his tears. She did not know what to do or say. Turning to glance at Goten's face, Para saw the emptiness of pain beyond feeling.

She shut her eyes tightly. _I made this happen, and now I can't bear to watch. _Her eyes flew open when she felt Trunks' hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay," he told her, swallowing visibly. She stared at his Adam's apple fearfully. "It's really fine. I'm not upset. Let's just go home."

Para nodded, unable to do anything else. She moved after Trunks automatically, feeling somewhat like a robot controlled by his voice. She thought about Giru, who was waiting at home for her. It was a strange time to think about their pet robot, but Giru knew who she was and had faithfully kept her secret. Yes, she would go home with Trunks and put her arms around Giru's spherical little body, and hold the robot as she cried herself to sleep. Just like when she was a lonely teenager—nothing had changed, and she had successfully shot herself in the foot, in the side, and in the head to ensure the destruction of her own happiness.

She and Trunks had almost reached the kitchen door, walking at a slow, zombie-like pace, when she heard a firm voice speak behind her.

"She's not going with you," Goten said quietly.

Para's heart leapt into her throat; she somehow felt like she was being rescued. Both she and Trunks turned to look at the son of Goku, and they were met by a wave of hot ki sweeping over their faces. Goten extended his hand out toward her.

"Make your decision," he told her firmly. His face was declaring battle, but there was also a naïve, vulnerable tenderness behind the ferocity. Never had he reminded her more of her grandfather in that moment, and in that moment she knew that she needed to stand by him. Goten would be crushed if she walked away from him now, and he was not the man she currently intended to crush.

When Para stepped forward, enraptured by Goten's warrior-beauty, there was an instant during which she was very conscious of being Bra Briefs. It disappeared as soon as it had come when she was called by another name.

"Medea!" Trunks said desperately. "What are you…"

"Please forgive me," she said softly as she turned back to him, "things have changed." Her voice was weak, and her conviction was unsteady. She felt like her body was about to rip in half between the two men. If she had taken off the katchin jewelry she wore, she physically would have split in two.

"Are you seriously doing this?" Trunks asked her hoarsely. "I'm willing to overlook what I saw."

"I'm not," she answered, moving closer to Goten. "I'm so sorry, Trunks." Her hands had broken out into a cold sweat. They felt clammy and they shook as she reached out to take the hand of her new-old lover. She inhaled deeply before making her declaration:

"I want to be with Goten."

A silence filtered through the kitchen. Water could be heard dripping from the tap, and it felt like all three saiyans were holding their breath. Trunks was not even blinking as he stared into a pair of gorgeous indigo eyes.

"How can you do this to me?" he asked her in a voice that was quavering with bottled rage. She was already wincing, anticipating the popping of the cork. She imagined that it was going to shoot directly into her eye. Trunks was moving forward, advancing on her, and there was green fire in his eyes. She deserved it; she wanted him to hurt her. She could feel his ki rising. "Medea, we've been together for over six months…"

_And how long were you with Pan before you cheated on her! _she mentally screamed. Her own ki began to increase in small hiccups. She felt her breaths start to shorten, coming in quick, shallow bursts. She was hyperventilating, and she felt the world spinning around her. The surge of dizziness caused her to feel suddenly faint. She ripped her eyes away from Trunks, trying to focus on a stationary, solid point—she saw an kaleidoscope of rainbow colors dance all over Marron's kitchen walls. She was sure that she was about to slip into some sort of permanent, traumatized coma when she felt a hand resting against her back protectively. Possessively.

Goten's touch brought her solidly back to earth. He was unwavering and certain. "Look, man," the dark-haired man said with a deep frown. "I love you, but I'm sick of yielding to your every whim. I'm going to be selfish for a moment here and tell it like it is. You started seeing Medea just to make Pan jealous. Just to use her for your company appearances and the newspapers."

"That was ages ago!" Trunks yelled. "Everything changed once I found out…"

"That she was saiyan? That she was from the future? Then she became of value to you as a person rather than a pawn?" Goten knew his best friend better than he knew himself. There was no one who could more accurately finish his sentences. "I don't care where she's from. I don't care what species she is. I just need _her."_

"You," Trunks said viciously, "_you _forced her into this!"

For a moment, his voice was so convincing that Para almost believed him. She almost believed that she had been manipulated and seduced by Goten, before she remembered that she had planned this moment well over a year ago. She had consciously decided to cheat on Trunks, and now that she was in the moment, it all felt too unreal. "No," she whispered. "Don't blame him. It was my choice."

Trunks shook his head, refusing to believe her. "You would never have hurt me like this, Medea—I know that it's _his _doing. Why do you have to ruin everything for me, Goten? You were my best friend!"

"I_ am_ your best friend," Goten said quietly. "Trunks, please understand. I have no ulterior motives. I have nothing else, while you have the world at your fingertips. I _need_ this girl."

"Fuck you, man!" Trunks hissed. "When are you going to stop acting like your bank account is a handicap? When are you going to stop begging me for handouts of scraps? When are you going to stop coveting everything I have, comparing yourself to me? Your jealousy has destroyed our friendship, Goten. That's your real handicap—your filthy envy."

Goten seemed struck by these words, and he stood in speechlessness for a moment. He bowed his head slightly. "I have envied you, and for that I'm sorry. But this is not about…"

"Oh, I know _exactly_ what this is about," Trunks seethed. "You couldn't bear to see that I was happy…"

"Stop!" Para shouted. She raised her ki slightly, just to draw their attention. "Trunks, this is my fault. I always felt that you held something back from me… and I held something back too. I knew that you were just using me at first. Maybe something changed along the way and you actually began to care for me, but something changed for me too. I realized… I realized that Goten and I just connect better. It's not his fault… it's just the way things happened."

"You realized…" Trunks turned to her viciously. "How long!"

She swallowed, unable to speak.

_"How long!_ How long has this been going on behind my back!"

"Trunks, I…"

When he advanced on her, she shivered at the coldness of the ice in his blue eyes. She nearly took a step back, feeling fear spread through her chest as his face drew close to hers. Prickles of electricity ran up the back of her neck, and the look on her face made her breath catch—she almost anticipated to be dead within the second.

"How long have you been _fucking_ him?" Trunks hissed.

Para closed her eyes tightly, almost wishing he would go on with it and do whatever he intended to do. She would have welcomed physical blows more than his measured anger. She felt her chest constrict as she waited for some kind of impact.

"Look at me!" he shouted. _"How long?"_

Her eyes snapped open. She owed him a response. She gripped Goten's hand tightly, feeling tears prick the back of her eyes. They began to pool along her bottom lashes, and she was unable to blink them away. "Just today," she whispered.

She flinched when Trunks moved forward sharply, feeling the wind of his motion stirring her indigo hair. Inches from her face, the man paused. "No," Trunks said. "I won't hit a woman. Saiyan or not. But you…" He slowly pivoted, with darkening eyes. A vicious sneer overtook his face as he looked at Goten. Then a smile. Trunks smiled, the most sinister, sadistic smile that had ever graced his face.

"I'm going to rip your fucking dick off."

Para saw it happen almost in slow motion. She knew it had happened in a fraction of a fraction of a second, but Trunks was suddenly lifting his hand to fire a ki blast directly through Goten's heart. The dark-haired man was emotionally distraught and unprepared for his friend's rage. Para knew she needed to move, and in that sliver of an instant, she clenched Goten's hand and slammed two fingers into her forehead.

Trunks bellowed as he unleashed a wave of ki in a finishing move, exploding through half of Marron's kitchen. He yelled in rage when he saw that his target had evaded the attack. "Run, then," he said with a grin. His own face had never looked more like Vegeta's as he walked out of the kitchen, intent on stalking his prey. He walked through the hallway, passing by the stairs on his way out of the house.

"Uncle Trunks, are you ready to tell me the story now?" Nyssa asked anxiously, fingering her giraffe.

Trunks ignored the child as he moved past her, flinging Marron's front door open. When he stepped out of the house, he saw that everyone was looking toward him. Goten was standing with Medea near to Gohan and Vegeta. He was taking cover from the storm; but it was impossible. The storm would rain down and destroy the happy little picnic. Uub and Marron had risen to their feet, slightly surprised and upset with the explosion that they had witnessed leaving their kitchen.

Nyssa ran after the lavender-haired man, tugging on his sleeve to regain his attention. "Uncle Trunks?"

Trunks slammed his hand to his left, violently striking the side of Nyssa's head and sending her crashing into the side of the brick house. The seven-year-old went clean through the wall.

"Nyssa!" Marron screamed, rushing forward. She stumbled as she was slightly tipsy.

Uub grabbed his wife and held her against his side protectively. "Don't go near him, Mar. He's crazed."

"What's wrong with you, Trunks Briefs!" Marron yelled, fighting against Uub vainly. "She's just a little girl…"

Trunks whizzed by them in a blur of blue ki, weaving through the crowd toward Goten. When he met with his opponent, he smashed his knee into Goten's nose. He immediately began to pummel both of his fists into Goten's stomach.

"Goten, no!" Chi Chi gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth

Para was frozen, before she remembered that she needed to force her petrified body into action in order to save Goten's life. She moved toward the men, trying to wrestle Trunks' hands away from Goten. "Stop this!" she begged him. "It's my fault. It's my fault!"

"Stay away from me. This is between me and _him!"_ Trunks roared, shrugging her off. She fell to the ground a few feet away. Trunks faded, materializing behind Goten and grabbing the man's head between his hands. He intended to snap Goten's neck and kill him in one firm blow. He grinned at this concept, figuring he could castrate the man after death. He had promised, after all.

Before he could hear the gratifying snap of a spinal cord, he felt strong arms pulling him away from his friend. He saw Gohan removing his younger brother from his grasp, just as a warm, red furry arm encircled his own neck. He cursed as he struggled against the Super Saiyan 4 headlock.

"Boy," Vegeta said calmly. "Why are you acting like a menstruating female? Shall I purchase you some Tampax?"

Trunks ripped himself free and swiveled in midair, sending his fist out toward his father. Before it could collide with Vegeta's head, the older man stopped the attack with a single finger.

"She's leaving me for him," Trunks said, drawing a ragged breath. "She's been fucking him behind my back!"

"Well, obviously," Vegeta responded. "He has been training harder than you."

"Excuse me?"

"It's natural for a powerful woman to choose the strongest mate. If you trained as much as Goten, maybe she wouldn't have lost interest."

"Vegeta," Bulma said angrily. "Why don't you defend your son for a change? He has been wronged."

"You don't care," Trunks said in disbelief, his ki skyrocketing. Power ballooned out from his body in turbulent yellow waves. "You have _never _cared!"

"No," Vegeta hissed. "If I didn't train as hard as I did when we were informed of the androids, your mother would not have left Yamcha for me. You would not have been born. It's a reflection on what kind of man you are when a woman leaves one fighter for a stronger fighter."

Vegeta turned to the side and spat. "It is a reflection on what kind of man you are when a woman chooses you to be the father of her children. In your current pathetic state, only a weak woman would choose you. No wonder Pan is nowhere to be found."

"Don't you talk about Pan!" Trunks screamed as his irises disappeared. His eyes became completely white and he temporarily forgot about Goten in his easily transferrable rage as he flew directly at his father.

"Unbelievable," Videl muttered. "These men. Honestly…"

When Trunks powered up and rushed at Vegeta, the older man went work, matching him blow for blow. He sent a thought into Para's mind once he had attracted his son's attention. _Take Goten and get out of here. Lay low for a while. I do not want to ever see you again._

Para nodded, feeling the resentment in Vegeta's thought. "I'm sorry," she told everyone, kneeling at Goten's side. "I'm sorry this happened."

"You ought to be ashamed!" Bulma said harshly to Para. Vegeta and Trunks continued to fight at full power, moving their battle higher into the sky. Gohan frowned and turned his eyes up to observe the fight above.

Goten groaned, turning to the side and coughing up blood. Chi Chi shook her head sadly. "You're no son of mine, Goten. Don't come back to Mt. Paozu—I can't believe you did this to your best friend."

"Mom, please understand," Goten said softly. "I couldn't stay away from Medea…"

"Shut up!" Marron shouted savagely. "Couldn't you have picked another day to do this? Far away from my kids!" She slipped out of her husband's grasp and moved forward to the picnic table. Grabbing a pitcher of strawberry daiquiri, she lobbed it at Goten. It hit him squarely in the already bruised head.

"I'm so sorry, Marron," Para said, flinching as some of the liquid splashed on her arm. "I didn't mean to…"

"Don't talk to me, you slut!" Marron shouted through tears. "You endangered my family!"

"Get off our property," Uub commanded. "Both of you. Stay away from our house for good."

Para nodded, lowering her head in shame. She moved to the picnic table where her purse was, and slipped it on her shoulder before touching Goten's hand and moving two fingers to her forehead. Both of them disappeared. Vegeta and Trunks were still engaged in battle far above the picnic. Gohan had flown up to keep an eye on the two men, and jump in at any moment if it got out of hand.

Marron bolted toward the house where her daughter lay in a pile of rubble. "Nyssa!" she shouted frantically. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Nyssa pulled herself off the ground, rubbing her head in confusion. "Momma, he didn't say 'get ready' before he hit me."

"Thank Dende," Marron breathed, hugging the little girl against her chest.

Nyssa was pouting. "It's no fair! I want a rematch. Daddy always warns me first."

* * *

Para woke up to a face nuzzling her neck, and a hand stroking her waist under her polka-dotted dress. She blinked her heavy eyelids open, and saw only darkness all around.

"Goten?" she whispered. She immediately felt a warm, moist mouth attach itself to hers.

_Help me forget, _he said telepathically. He positioned his body above hers, and nudged his knee in between her thighs. _Help me forget everything._

She was still too drowsy to form a coherent response, even with her mind. She felt the coolness of Goten's belt buckle being discarded against her hip, and in the next second, Goten was entering her. She gasped out in surprise, but her body was already responding, wrapping her legs around him to give him better access. She wanted to forget too.

There was no better way to wake up from a drug-induced coma than with Goten making love to her desperately, as if his life depended on it. Being conscious was not so terrible, she decided as his lips descended to her neck, pulling her skin gently between his teeth. In the dark cave, he pounded himself into her, pumping his hips brutally.

Para cried out, knowing that no one could hear her. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, allowing the sensations to wash over her as she clenched her abdominal muscles and rocked her hips against him, blind to everything except her pleasure. She was blind to the world, and for a few minutes, she did forgot everything except the blissful assault of Goten's body.

When the saiyan was finished, he lay limply against her, nestled against her neck. "Vegeta and Trunks fought for hours," he told her. "I was trying to focus on their fight—I think Vegeta put him in a healing tank."

Para nodded, running her hands over his back. "I feel so horrible."

"Well, I don't. I feel pretty good," Goten said. There was a grin in his voice, even though she could not see him in the dark.

She hit him in the shoulder. "We should get going home."

Goten seemed to hesitate. "You really don't mind if I stay with you? You don't mind living with me?"

Para smiled, knowing that he could not see her had spent five years living with Goten, and she had missed him terribly. "Well, you will have to earn your keep. You'll have to wake me up like this every morning."

He planted a kiss on her jaw. "Only if you put me to sleep like this every night."

She traced her fingers up his spine. "And you need to make love to me at lunchtime, too."

"Only if I can also have you for dinner," he growled, nibbling on her ear.

She laughed lightly, feeling him growing hard inside of her again. "We'll never get anything done, Goten."

"No, we'll train!" he told her, beginning to move his hips against her again. "We'll train every other minute of the day. We'll get so strong together."

"Mmm," she said, trying to focus, "but the hospital…"

"Screw the hospital!" he told her angrily, punctuating his words with a thrust. "You're saiyan. Don't waste your time in that place. Let's just be ourselves from now on. Let's just be who we are, and do what we want."

She nodded, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to cling to both his body and his logic.

"We sacrificed everything to be happy," he told her. "So let's be happy."

* * *

_Three months later…_

They were happy.

It was, in fact, the happiest time of Para's life. She and Goten spent every day together, ignoring the rest of the world. Shortly after the incident, Marron had texted to apologize for calling her a slut, and mentioned that she had needed to get her kitchen re-modeled anyway. Marron had made several attempts to meet with Para for drinks or coffee, but Para had chosen to remain reclusive with Goten. They had not seen any member of the Z-team since the blowout with Trunks, and in fact, they tried to avoid people altogether.

The two saiyan lovers reveled in the physical glory of just being; they exerted and honed their personal power to the highest possible reaches. They held nothing back, beating the stuffing out of each other until they both collapsed. Then they would use their last bit of energy to make love, rest in each other's arms, and repeat. It was heavenly.

Which is why, on this particular day, on the frozen planet Polaris, Para was not surprised that Goten had finally been able to achieve her level. She had known that it was coming. Oftentimes when she transported Goten to a distant vacant planet, and the two would train at full power, his Super Saiyan 2 would be equal to or slightly better than her third level. She knew that his additional years of experience, and his greater saiyan blood gave him an advantage over her power that was mostly gained through fusion.

And she also knew how to push his buttons.

_"You can do this!" she had shouted. "You've been Super Saiyan 3 before—why can't you do it again?"_

_Bullets of sweat poured down his face. "I never did it on my own… I was fused with Trunks."_

_"So are you saying that you need Trunks?" she asked with a smirk. "Are you nothing without your best friend? Should I go get him and ask him for help so that you can beat a girl?"_

_"Shut up!" Goten roared. "I can do this without him! I can do this!"_

He had done it. And he had beaten her to a bloody pulp.

Even so, as she was being pummeled into the ground, Para had felt an unexpected surge of pride and love for Goten as the man pushed his personal boundaries. In these past few months, he had flourished and bloomed, becoming one of the strongest saiyans who had ever lived. He was certainly more powerful than Trunks now, thanks to her encouragement and training. He was possibly more powerful than Gohan—and only steps away from his father and Vegeta. Perhaps she was only the woman behind the man, but part of Para drew a deep gratification and sense of accomplishment from helping Goten to be all that he could be.

Even if it meant being blown to bits by his Electric Kamehameha.

"I'm sorry, Medea," Goten was saying as he lifted her battered body gently against his chest. He winced as he examined her wounds and broke bones. "I didn't mean to go so far…"

"This was supposed to happen," she croaked with a bloody smile.

"I need to get you to the rejuvenation tank. Can you teleport us home?" he asked frantically.

She tried to talk and ended up coughing. She spoke telepathically instead. _Maybe if you can lift my hand to my forehead._

He did as she requested, and once she had performed the instant transmission, she collapsed into unconsciousness. Goten had opened up a capsule containing a healing tank, and set it up in their bedroom. He began to carefully peel her clothes away from her gory, bruised skin. He noticed then that her black-metal necklace was digging into her collarbone. He frowned and unclasped the necklace, removing it from her skin.

"You shouldn't wear so much jewelry when you're sparring," he told her lifeless body, kissing her forehead. He noticed that she also had bracelets that were caked with blood and damaged skin. Her body had been burned badly from his ki attacks. Goten carefully removed Para's dark katchin bracelets from her raw wrists, wincing as he pulled off the metal which had become glued to her body. He followed by moving to her hands, where she wore two dark rings on each of her index fingers. The metal had welded itself to her swollen fingers, and flaps of skin from other fingers were hanging over the rings. He grimaced as he saw flashes of bone through her damaged hands, feeling guilty for how much harm he had inflicted on her body. Goten gently began to pry the rings off so that she could heal completely.

When the rings were off, he was about to lift her into the tank—but then he noticed one more piece of jewelry. A slim chain of katchin links spanned Para's slender, bruised ankle. Frowning, Goten adjusted her limp body in his arms. He extended a hand to her foot, trying to unfasten the anklet with one hand.

Para stirred slightly, feeling the hand on her foot. She squinted open one eye, and jumped in fear when she saw Goten fiddling with her jewelry.

"What are you doing!" Para shouted hoarsely, yanking her foot away from him. "Stop!"

"Shhh, it's okay," he told her, touching her knee soothingly. "Your skin won't heal properly if all this jewelry is stuck in your body."

"No!" Para shouted, trying to push him away. She was too weak from the battle. When she saw that he had removed every other piece of the katchin jewelery from her body, she began to sob. She screamed, panicking as she imagined herself splitting into two girls. Goten would hate her. If that chain was removed from her ankle, her beautiful life would come crashing down around her. He would never talk to her again if he knew. "Please don't! Dende, please don't, Goten!"

Hearing the hysterical tone in her voice, his hands paused their fidgeting on her ankle. He looked up at her in concern. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, sobbing. "Please—it's special to me. Don't remove my jewelry."

"Your skin is torn. Your bones are visible," he said with a frown. "I hardly think that you should be wearing jewelry when your body is so wrecked. What if you get an infection?"

"I won't. I'll heal. Please give me my rings back," Para whispered. When Goten slipped the rings back over her bloody index fingers, she felt faint relief. "Thank you," she whispered, realizing how close she had been to losing him. Perhaps this ruse could not go on forever—perhaps she would have to leave him someday, but it would be on her own terms. She was not ready to give up her personal paradise just yet, for she knew that it would be the last time she got to be with him.

"I'm sorry," Goten said gently, hugging her against him. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"It's okay," she told him as her heart stopped racing. She leaned against him, taking slow breaths. "I just love you so much."

"I love you more," he told her firmly, stroking her indigo hair at the back of her neck. "You bring out the best in me. You've supported me and challenged me—I've achieved more than I ever thought I could! For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm doing what I'm meant to do. My dad would be proud of me if he saw the way I fought today."

Para closed her eyes tightly, feeling tears trickle through her lashes. "He would be, Goten. He would be so proud. I'm sure that wherever he is, Goku's looking down at you and smiling. You went Super Saiyan 3! That's no small feat."

Goten smiled and kissed her hair. "Because of you. You're the best thing that ever happened to me. Now into the healing tank with you!"

"Just hold me for a second longer," she told him.

"Fine, but every second you waste being injured is a second we could spend having crazy Super Saiyan 3 sex when you're healed."

Para's eyes shot open. "Put me in the tank! Put me in the tank!"

* * *

_A few weeks later…_

Lying naked on the couch, with a blanket pulled around her, Para sleepily watched the television. It was one of her new favorite shows, and strangely enough, she had never thought much of the program before her life as a fused being. Goten had gone to get popcorn.

"Hey, M, have you seen my socks?" Goten called out from the kitchen.

"On the refrigerator!" she called back.

"Oh, thanks! Got them."

There was silence in the kitchen for a few moments as Goten rummaged around for snacks. When the program went on commercial break, Para smiled and used her telepathy to spy on Goten. She loved watching him eat. He shoved a bowl filled with nachos and covered in cheese sauce into the microwave, and stood around waiting impatiently. Looking around to make sure that no one was watching him, Goten's hand drifted down to scratch his balls as he stared through the glass door of the microwave.

_I should have just used my ki to warm that up, _he thought to himself as his stomach growled in anticipation. _Oh, well. I wonder if we have jalapenos? _In boredom, he began going through the drawers of a cabinet close to the microwave. His eyes settled on a bill curiously.

It was a bill for property taxes, with the city name printed in big bold lettering. What really puzzled him was the addressee name visible through the little window on the envelope. Frowning, Goten picked up the piece of paper and studied the name for a moment. Swallowing, he turned and marched out of the kitchen to the living room where Para was resting on the couch.

Having read his thoughts, she had bolted upright in fear, clutching the blanket around her chest nervously. How could she have been so careless as to leave that bill lying around?

"Para," Goten said in confusion, holding up the bill. "Your name is Para?"

She stared at him, terrified of the conclusions he had drawn. "Goten, please. Don't… don't think ill of me." She mentally cursed herself for being so foolish—they were only at the house so she could watch her stupid TV show! If she had not allowed this human whim to distract her, if she had been more focused on her training, they would be in the forest or desert. Surely they would be in some remote location far away from her personal documents! She could not believe that everything was falling apart because of a piece of paper. If she had just paid the bill promptly and disposed of the envelope instead of procrastinating…

"Para," Goten repeated again, testing the word on his tongue. "This can't mean… your name, it's…"

"Goten, stop. Listen—let me explain!"

He frowned at her, waving the envelope in the air angrily. "You lied to me. I know what this means!" He shook his head in disbelief, his jaw working in frustration. "If your name is Para, then you must be…"

* * *

Cliffy! Has Goten figured it out? =O


	27. My Little Goldfish

_Chapter 27: My Little Goldfish_

Here's another! Please enjoy.

~PanHopeNvs

* * *

"I'm not who you think I am," Para blurted out, trying to delay the inevitable conclusions that would leave Goten's mouth. "I'm not…"

"You must be," he mused, taking a step backward, "and I've been living with you for all these months and I didn't know."

"Please let me explain," she said, dropping the blanket she had held up around her and holding up both of her hands in a pathetic gesture of peace. "Goten, please…"

"He tried to kill me!" Goten snapped at her, ignoring the fact that the microwave was beeping to indicate that his popcorn was ready. The delicious smell of buttery popcorn was wafting toward them, but he completely ignored this for perhaps the first time in his life as he waved her tax bill. "Broly tried to kill my father!"

Para's eyebrows narrowed. "What?"

"Don't try and play dumb," Goten said angrily. "I know that Broly's dad was named Paragus. It's a traditional saiyan name!"

She stared at him speechlessly.

"So what is it?" Goten demanded, smashing his fist into the doorframe and causing an entire wall to crumble. "Are you Broly's sister? Broly's daughter?"

A whoosh of air exited Para's mouth and nostrils at the same time. Her shoulders hunched forward as a nervous laugh bubbled out of her throat. "Um, I'm his daughter."

Goten nodded, leaning against the destroyed doorframe and rubbing his eyebrows. "That makes sense. You're really strong, and Broly was like insanely strong."

"Are you upset?" she asked him, pulling the blanket back up around herself. She was surprised to feel how her heart was pounding under her hands. She applied pressure to her chest to entreat the frantic organ to be still.

"I just need a minute," Goten said softly. "Of all the people that I could have imagined your ancestors to be… this is a bit of a shocker. That man was a monster."

"I know," she said softly. Para shut her eyes tightly, doing a little happy dance inside her head; it was all she could do to keep from smiling. This was a serious moment for Goten, although she found it hilarious._On my own terms, _she told herself._ We're cutting it close now. I have let this go on for so long, and I need to be done with it. If I'm going to end this, I'm going to end this on my own terms. There isn't any more time to play games._

"But you're nothing like him," Goten said, nodding firmly. "I can't judge you on who your family is, not when I know you so well. I need to judge only_ your_ actions."

"It's fine," Para answered with a subtle frown. "We are all judged on who our fathers were. Worst of all, we judge ourselves based on who our fathers were."

"I'm sorry," Goten said finally, moving toward her. He sat beside her on the edge of the couch, forcing her to scoot a few inches back. Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on her forehead. "I shouldn't have overreacted like this, Med—er, Para."

She shuddered a little at hearing him say her name. "Please don't call me that."

"Why not?" he asked with confusion. "Wouldn't it feel nicer to be called by your real name? It sounds nice. Para, Para, Para."

She swallowed as she watched him test the word on his tongue. It vaguely reminded her of some strange dancing aliens she had met in space, but she could not quite access the distant memory. "The name is an unpleasant token of my past. I'd prefer if you didn't use it."

"Sure, M. Whatever you like," Goten said, reaching out to rub her cheek. "It's okay. Don't be scared to share stuff with me. The truth should bring us closer, not push us apart."

"Mhmm. The truth is a powerful thing," Para said, squinting at him. "A dangerous thing."

"I don't think any less of you for being related to Broly," Goten said, adjusting himself so that he was lying beside her on the couch. He snuggled in the crook of her arm, ignoring the beeping of the microwave as it reminded him that his popcorn had been popped. "Just really surprised."

"Why?" she asked numbly. _These are too many lies piling up. This has to end soon. I'm getting tired of it. Even Goten will figure me out if I keep being so sloppy. I can't even remember who I'm supposed to be anymore. From the future? Related to Broly? I have to stop this._

"This is going to sound silly," Goten admitted, "but I always imagined that you'd be related to the Sons or Briefs… or both. There are so few saiyans out there that I thought you might be some kind of distant cousin… maybe the daughter of some unknown lovechild that my dad or Vegeta had somewhere in space, ages ago."

Para smiled at the idea of Goku having an unknown lovechild. "I think you underestimate how much those two were obsessed with fighting."

"But still, it's possible," Goten said with a frown. "I always thought that was the reason you were being secretive. Because you were ashamed that you were related to either me or Trunks. I didn't want to bring it up to make you upset… but I guess I was wrong. Broly makes a lot of sense."

"Go get your popcorn," Para said, when the microwave beeped again annoyingly. When Goten obediently got off the couch and flew into the other room to retrieve his treasure, she exhaled. _That guy is smarter than he looks. That was too close for comfort._

* * *

Para was tugging sleek black leggings over her muscled thighs when she heard the noise of various items falling to the ground in the bathroom. Pulling her pants up around her waist, she frowned and moved to the bathroom door. She lifted an eyebrow as she watched Goten scrimmage around through their cabinets and drawers.

"What are you looking for?" she asked him with amusement. "Maybe I can help."

"Fucking fusion!" he answered as he continued to create a mess in her toiletries.

Para froze and the muscles in her face became rock-solid and expressionless. "What?"

"My Gillette Fusion razor!" Goten explained, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Oh," she said with a cracking smile. "Have you checked the refrigerator?"

"The fridge? Why the heck would it be there?" he asked.

Para shrugged and returned to pulling on a black sweater. "You leave everything there. You randomly decide that you're hungry in the middle of various tasks, and leave tons of things lying around in the fridge while you snack."

"I'm sorry," Goten said with a furious blush. "Dende, I'm so messy. It must be hell to live with me."

"You make up for it in other ways," she said with a wink. "Honestly, Goten, I don't care. Have you seen my ski-mask?"

"Nope. Are you doing something different today?" he asked with a grin. "Robbing a bank? Robbing a food bank?"

"Nah." Para smiled as she moved back into the bedroom to search inside drawers for her black ski-mask. When she found it, she pulled it down over her head. "Same old thing. I need to do some research."

"At the observatories again?" Goten asked skeptically. "If you keep sneaking into them, you're going to get found out. You're going to run into _him._"

"I won't," Para said firmly. "Trunks doesn't deal with the deep space aspects of Capsule Corp. anymore. It's a weekend, so none of the employees are at work. The buildings are deserted. I sneak in and out without leaving any fingerprints behind or stealing anything, so they're probably not even aware of the break-ins."

"But they have cameras," Goten said with concern.

"I run a loop of nothing happening," Para told him, moving forward to place a hand on his cheek. "Don't worry, love. I go to a different observatory each weekend. I've got this all under control."

"If you say so," he answered with a trusting smile.

* * *

Para stifled a yawn as she punched in a code to adjust the giant telescope by the tiniest of degrees. She had removed her ski mask hours ago when she had become sweaty from working in the small, warm laboratory. She had been searching for Metamora periodically for months. She could vaguely remember what it had felt like to teleport to Zvarin's planet, and she knew the general direction to search, but it seemed to be so far away that even the most powerful telescopes on earth could not manage to photograph the star system. She didn't expect to get any further than pinpointing the coordinates of the planet, and perhaps regularly monitoring that part of the universe for any suspicious activity, but the fact that she could not even find the precise solar system unsettled her.

Zvarin's energy signal was becoming closer each day, and it was impossible to ignore that he was approaching the planet. It would still be several months to a year before he landed, but Para felt like time was already running out. Sometimes she entertained thoughts of intercepting Zvarin's spaceship and blowing it up. If the powerful man could not be stopped, then perhaps he could merely be stranded. He could not teleport easily like she could, so if she could find a remote enough location to leave him isolated and trapped, then perhaps she could neutralize his threat.

Or she could piss him off even further and turn him into an even bigger threat. As it stood, there was still some small possibility that she could reason with him, trading and bartering for something he desired. Herself. As long as Zvarin maintained his interest in Para, she possessed a trump card.

She would have teleported to the spaceship long ago, but it seemed like too much of a suicide mission. The memory of Zvarin's force field still gave her nightmares, and she did not want to be trapped alone with that man in space. She had considered taking Goten with her for backup, but she knew that even the son of Goku would be powerless against Zvarin. She would not sacrifice someone she loved so dearly in a failed attempt to stop the universe's newest conqueror. They would have to throw everything they had at Zvarin all at once, coordinating with the other saiyans, if they stood any chance at all.

She sighed as she peered through the telescope, causing the lens to become foggy with her breath. In order to coordinate with the other saiyans, they would first need to be on speaking terms with them.

"You're close," said a voice behind her. "Just a few megaparsecs away."

Para froze, feeling tingles run up and down her spine. Her first instinct was to lift her fingers to her forehead and teleport away, but she felt a hand on her wrist.

"That's very advanced equipment that you're playing with there, love. You may not leave any trace of being here, but the telescopes remember where they've been pointed."

She cursed, too ashamed to meet his eyes. "Trunks, I was just…"

"You miscalculated the stellar parallax. I have been looking at your data, and I think that if you program the telescope a few arcseconds to the south…"

Para stood up abruptly and turned around, grabbing her ski mask and stuffing it into her pocket. "I'm going," she told him, slipping under his arm and moving away.

He blurred in front of her, crossing his arms disapprovingly. "You didn't have to sneak into the labs. You could have just asked to use them."

She tried to steady her breathing, unable to look at him, but unable to look away. His purple hair was mesmerizing. Had it always been so mesmerizing? "I didn't think you would notice."

"I didn't," Trunks admitted with a frown. "My mom figured it out. There's no way a thief can get into any of our buildings without triggering alarms. So when we had the same issue with observatories in Hawaii, Arizona, Chile, and even in some of our satellite observatories in _space_, we knew we were dealing with instant transmission."

"I apologize for using your equipment without authorization," she said, feeling pain in her chest from just being near him. "When there are important issues at stake, like the future of the planet, sometimes it's necessary to break a few rules."

"Medea…"

"I'm sorry for everything," she blurted out quickly, stepping away from him. She used the opportunity to slam her fingers into her forehead and teleport back to Goten. The dark-haired man was lying on her bed and innocently snoring, oblivious to anything negative or positive in the universe.

She smiled, feeling a sense of peace overwhelm her as she stared down at the sleepy saiyan. _He's my little goldfish, _she thought to herself suddenly, as a strange memory came hurtling back to her.

_"Bra, did you fall asleep in the bathtub again?" Goten asked in disappointment._

_"What? No!" Bra said, shooting upright and wiping the drool from her chin. Her elbow had accidentally knocked over her wine glass in the process, but Goten had darted forward quickly enough to keep the chardonnay from falling into her bathwater. Bra giggled and took the wine glass from his hand, thanking him with a kiss on the nose before pouring the rest of the liquid down her throat._

_"It's these darned massaging jets," she explained sheepishly. "They're soooo relaxing."_

_"You deserve to relax," Goten said with a grin. "It's the eve of your twenty-fifth birthday!"_

_"Oh gawd, don't remind me," Bra said with a laugh. "That number feels so hideously old."_

_Goten beamed down at her. "I got you a present!"_

_"Really?" she asked mischievously. "Well, why don't you take your clothes off and get into the bathtub and give me my present."_

_"No, a real present," Goten said earnestly. He hesitated. "In addition to those other kinds of presents. But this one comes first—did you know it's midnight in one minute?"_

_"I was too busy napping to notice," she said with a smile._

_"Well, if you close your eyes for a few seconds, then I'll return at exactly midnight on the day of your birthday with a very special present."_

_"You're the sweetest guy ever," Bra mused out loud. She obediently closed her eyes. "Don't keep me waiting too long!"_

_"I'll be right back."_

_Bra fumbled around to find the button that turned on the massaging jets in her bath. She leaned back against the pressurized streams of water as she waited._

_"Happy Birthday, Bra!" Goten said enthusiastically as a clinking noise was heard._

_Opening her eyes curiously, Bra was startled to see a tiny glass bowl with an adorable goldfish swimming around inside. "Oh, Goten!" she exclaimed with a giggle._

_"I caught it myself," Goten said proudly. "I was visiting my mom, and I found it swimming in a pond near our home. And it was so pretty and small that I thought you might like to have it."_

_"He's perfect," Bra said as she traced the glass with a crimson fingernail. "I'm going to name him Little G."_

_"Sounds like a rapper," Goten proclaimed. "Does this mean he's a ghetto fish?"_

_Bra released a hoot of girlish laughter. "No, silly!" she gasped. "I'm naming him after you."_

_"Awww," Goten said, pulling off his shirt and quickly stepping out of his pants. He hopped into the giant tub, splashing water all over Bra and causing her to squeal. He crawled over to her with a mischievous smile on his face. "Is it bad if he watches as you play with Big G?"_

_"I think he's cool with it," Bra said, glancing at the innocent goldfish circling its little plastic palace. A second later, Goten's lips on her neck had completely distracted her from Little G._

Now, as Para stood above Goten, watching him snore, she could not help thinking of her goldfish. They had kept Little G in a small aquarium for about a year before noticing that the fish had grown sad and listless. He seemed to sink to the bottom of the bowl and mope around as though his life had no meaning. Bra and Goten had decided that perhaps they should return the wild goldfish to the pond near Mt. Paozu so he could roam around in the wild with his fellow fish, exploring and discovering the world. It had been sad to let him go, almost like losing a family member, but the fish had seemed instantly happier.

_That's what I've done to Goten, _Para suddenly realized. _I put him in a fucking fishbowl! I separated him from his family and friends and made him only mine. He exists only for my enjoyment, and even while he's sleeping he's some kind of pleasing aesthetic in my bedroom. I've used him to exert my power and show that I can control events. I wanted to feel like some kind of goddess. But this is wrong. _She frowned, suddenly growing very upset with herself.

_I need to set him free._

Para climbed into bed beside Goten gently, lying on her side to study his face. _He's not unhappy with me, but he's sheltered. He swims around clueless and totally separated from the world. He lost his best friend, his brother, his mom; I'm the one who trapped him in this stupid little fishbowl. He deserves more than a fake plastic castle; he's too kind and sweet to even complain. Little things make him happy, and I give him a lot of little things, but he should be free. He's so great; he doesn't even know how great he is._

Para reached out and rested a hand on Goten's chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing. Even in his sleep, he moved a hand to clasp hers. _Maybe getting flushed down the toilet could be healthy for this goldfish, _she thought to herself._ Maybe it's time for us to go our separate ways. He needs to go back to the wild lakes and rivers, and I need to go back to… being alone._

She rested her head against the pillow, feeling miserable at the prospect but unusually determined. _Because that's the way Goten wanted it initially; he wanted to be free of me. That's how this all began. Maybe I should remind him of that. Maybe it's time._

* * *

Pink pumps clinked on the sidewalk as a woman wearing giant sunglasses walked toward a bus stop bench. Seating herself carefully, she lifted a newspaper to cover her face, concealing her stylish blonde curls. She waited in this posture for several minutes, intermittently checking her watch. When the clock struck noon, a black Jaguar with tinted windows pulled up alongside the bus stop. The blonde woman glanced around carefully before briskly standing up and moving to the vehicle.

Once she was seated in the passenger seat, the car began to drive. Marron looked to her left, derisively lowering her sunglasses by an inch. "It's been months, girlfriend. Should I be offended by your neglect?"

Para sighed as she pulled into the nearest underground parking lot. "I'm sorry. It's been a rough year."

"I hear the revenge business is very taxing," Marron mused.

"Yeah. More than I expected," Para said. "But it's almost over. I need a new house."

"Of course you do. You would have to need something to pay attention to a lonely single mother who is miserable from changing diapers all day."

The car jerked violently as Para's foot crushed down on the brake. She turned to Marron with a look of horror on her face. "Single?" she whispered.

Marron nodded firmly. "Uub was never at home. He was spending too much time training, so I told him he wasn't welcome back and I kicked him out. We're separated."

"Well, get the fuck back together," Para said in shock. "You guys have three kids."

"And they're mine," Marron said firmly. "My mom and dad are helping out a lot. If he wants to waste his life away training, he can go ahead and enjoy himself. My girls are growing up fast, and I told him—I made him _promise_ before we had any kids that he would be at home at least on the weekends. But I haven't seen him in—pretty much as long as I haven't seen you."

"Dende, I'm so sorry. Mar…"

Marron's face had wrinkled up with emotion and she tilted her head as if to shrug it off. "It doesn't matter. That's martial artists for you. The Earth's Special Fucking Forces."

The bitterness in her tone lingered into the silence in the car as Para tried to guide the car into a parking spot with her shaking hands. She parked and leaned back against the headrest numbly. The two women sat quietly for a moment.

"You'll get back together," Para told her finally. "Uub would never have done this unless he thought it was a matter of life or death. You know that, Mar. That's why my grandpa…"

"Oh, for Dende's sake!" Marron hissed. "If one more person mentions Goku to me, I'm going to explode. I know all about how your grandfather treated his family, and I want no part of that. He was cursed. It's the bane of my existence that Goku happened to be my husband's mentor and idol. Uub worships him like a god."

Para stared at the blonde woman quietly. "The reasoning is that if it takes some time away from your family to ensure that in a few years you'll still have a family, and they'll still have a planet to live on safely—then it's worth the price. I'm sure it isn't easy for Uub to stay away."

"I know it isn't," Marron said, smashing her eyelids together to avoid tears. "I just miss him so much. The girls miss him so much."

"It's going to be fine," Para said with a smile, reaching across the console to squeeze her friend's hand. "Trust me—Uub is a good guy. A great guy. Maybe the only one left on the planet. He won't let you go so easily, but he also knows that he needs to do what needs to be done. Just have a little faith."

Marron returned the pressure on her friend's hand. "Thanks, Para," she said in a tired voice. Her lips curled. "Wow—I can't sense ki, but for a moment there, I could really recognize you. I could recognize the Bra and Pan in you. I miss you girls."

"I miss myself—my selves, too," Para said. "Don't worry. I'm putting an end to this charade very soon."

"Thank the Supreme Kai," Marron said, leaning back and laughing in relief. Her eyes rolled up to the roof of the car in gratitude. "I can't believe how long you let this go on for. You're crazy."

"It was fun while it lasted. And sometimes not-so-fun," Para admitted.

Marron leaned forward with excitement. "So it's time to tie up the loose ends? Bring Pan and Bra back to their families and friends who have loved them and missed them to death?"

Para hesitated. "Definitely time to tie up some loose ends. But I'm not stupid—Pan and Bra can't reappear instantly after I disappear. We need to wait it out, and give it a few months. Besides, I have a little bit of private training to continue doing as Para. I just need to get an isolated place set up where no one can find me."

"Except for me," Marron said in a warning tone, holding up a finger. "Don't you dare disappear without telling me where you're going."

"I wouldn't, Mar," Para said softly. "That's why I'm here. You're the only one I can trust. And Dende too, I suppose." Para cast her gaze in the general direction of the Lookout. "Oh, boy. I bet that little green god is going to really enjoy what happens next."

* * *

_A few weeks later…_

"How dare you even show your face here?" Chi-Chi asked in an icy tone. "After what you did to this family!"

Para lowered her gaze. "I am sorry, ma'am, but you had kicked Goten out of the house before I—before he—before everything happened. It was part of the reason he was so upset."

Chi-Chi sat down abruptly, as though trying to fight back tears. "I know. I could just see that my little boy was unhappy and I didn't know what to do. He took care of me, you know. But I wanted him to take care of himself for a change. How has he been doing?"

"He's been doing really well," Para said softly. "He's gotten really strong. Unbelievably strong."

"Just like his father," Chi-Chi said, pressing a hand to her chest. She sniffled softly before lifting her sharp nose to glare at Para. "Why are you here? You have brought nothing but trouble."

"Goten has been very upset about not talking to you," Para said earnestly. "He was always really close to you and almost dependent—he needs you."

"I did _not_ raise my son to hurt his friends," Chi-Chi said firmly.

"I know. And I take full responsibility for that, ma'am." Para hesitated, taking a deep breath. "You see, the thing is… I'm leaving."

"Leaving?" Chi-Chi demanded.

"Yes." She swallowed, hating to lie to her grandmother. "I'm going back to the future. So I thought he might need someone else in his life to take care of him."

"You did _all this _just to leave again?" Chi-Chi asked hotly, rising to her feet. "You destroyed a sweet, solid friendship between two boys who had known each other their entire lives, just for a few months of your own selfish pleasure?"

"No. He's gotten stronger. I was a positive influence…"

"Bullshit!" Chi-Chi shot back, grabbing the nearest object, which happened to be a flower vase. She flung it at Para's head, and it connected sharply with the girl's temple as it shattered.

Para stood frozen in shock, unhurt but emotionally shaken.

"Do you see how that feels?" Chi-Chi asked, advancing on Para until she stood face-to-face with her. "It doesn't matter how strong a saiyan warrior is, sweetie. They're people, just like human beings. And it hurts like hell when you break their hearts. You better think twice before leaving my Goten. He risked everything—he gave up _everything_ to be with you."

"I'm so sorry, Chi-Chi," Para whispered, trying to keep her posture steady as tears slipped from the corner of her eyes. More than anything, she just wanted to fling herself against her grandmother's breast and bawl like a baby. She wanted to tell Chi-Chi everything and beg for her forgiveness. "I'm so sorry, but I really have to go. I loved Goten—I love him more than anything, but sometimes we need to leave the people we love for a higher purpose…"

A sound rang out as Chi-Chi slapped Para across the face. "Stop." She gazed at Para with unwaveringly sharp and intelligent eyes; they were as youthful and strong as ever, completely overshadowing her wrinkled flesh and frail body. The look on her face could have melted steel. "Don't tell _me_ about that rubbish. Leaving for a higher purpose indeed."

Para could not seem to stop her tears. She could feel that her grandmother hated her, and she knew that it was justified. She opened her lips to apologize, but she was startled to find that Chi-Chi was placing her hands on either side of her face. The old woman's hands were surprisingly cold against her moistened cheeks, but there was something warm beginning in Chi-Chi's eyes.

"There's something about you, girl," Chi-Chi said softly. "You remind me of my Panny. It's been such a long time since I've seen my granddaughter." The older woman gazed at the younger one for several seconds, almost lovingly as she saw the ghost of another face. Then, shaking her head, she turned away. She grasped a table to steady herself as she placed a hand over her eyes. "Please go."

Feeling her chest constrict, Para wanted to go to her. She wanted to scream, _I'm right here! It's me, Grandma. I love you, and I'm so sorry. _But when she took a step forward, she could see that Chi-Chi was too proud to be consoled.

"Go!" Chi-Chi shouted. "Get the hell away from here!"

Para moved back, levitating her feet a few inches off the ground. "Yes, ma'am."

As she flew away, her heart was breaking for at least three reasons. One of them was yet to happen, but when it happened, she hoped that it would give her some kind of satisfaction and closure. It wasn't too often that a plan went as perfectly as this one. She should be congratulating herself, but she just yearned for it all to be over.

* * *

Goten was singing in the shower. What exactly does Goten sing in the shower, you might wonder? Turn on the radio, and pick the most uppity, saccharine, overplayed pop song from the newest breakout young artist, and that is surely what this mighty saiyan man would be singing after any given planet-shaking training session.

When Para entered the master bathroom, she was still crying. Goten's butchering of the already-awful latest billboard hit (in a cracking voice that made amateur karaoke sound appealing) filtered into her ears and made her sob harder at how endearing he was. She knew that he could sense that she was in the room, so she opened the glass door and moved directly into the shower to hide her tears in the flow of the water.

"You forgot to take your clothes off!" Goten told her with a laugh as he accepted her embrace. "What's wrong? Where have you been all day?"

She had buried her face against his chest and was nuzzling him wordlessly as an answer.

Goten misunderstood the nature of her affections as he reached down to relieve her of her dress. He undid the pieces of fabric which tied around her neck, holding up the bodice of her dress in a halter fashion. After this, he reached around her to undo the zipper which held the dress closed against her waist, hugging her figure closely. Before Para could realize what was happening, she was standing nude in the shower with Goten, and he was kissing her shoulder as he ran his hands over her back.

_Did you have a rough day?_ he asked her telepathically.

Suddenly, it all clicked into place in Para's mind. The scenes played over her mind in a poetic and painful déjà vu. She found her hands tightening around Goten's muscular shoulders as the water soaked her indigo hair and traced rivulets down her bangs and over her cheeks. Para did not know what overcame her as she shoved Goten into the tiled wall, so forcefully that the tiles behind him began to crack and crumble. He looked at her with surprise, but his expression was quickly changed as she slammed her mouth into his and reached down between his legs to frantically stroke him into readiness.

It did not take much administration from her hand for Goten to understand what she wanted and the urgency with which she wanted it. He grasped her waist tightly, spinning her around to force her up against the wall to better access her body. She clamped her legs around him as she drove her hips against him desperately and pleadingly, gasping out in an almost animalistic way.

She suddenly understood the way a homeless man felt when he could find no shelter from a cold winter's night. She suddenly understood the way a starving man felt when could find no morsel or crumb in the trash. She knew she was about to lose everything, and she would have done anything in her power to make these few seconds of pleasure last an eternity. She sobbed and gasped at the same time as she sunk her nails into Goten's flesh, trying to pull him as deep inside of her as he could possibly be. She wanted him to hit her core, to fuse with her so that she could keep him perpetually as part of her; but this was impossible.

_One last time, _her brain taunted her. _He just wanted to have me one last time. But that's not the way you treat Bra Vegeta Briefs. I get to have _him_ one last time. _She tossed her head back, letting it collide with the tiled wall. She had not realized that she had powered up to Super Saiyan, and that the wall behind her was crumbling. She did not care. She felt Goten's teeth rake against the side of her neck carnally as he thrust inside of her, and she concentrated on the pleasure to find her release.

When it came, she had never felt such a mix of bliss and guilt and horror mixing in her gut. She immediately wanted to collapse in tears, but then she reminded herself that she had already done that. Almost two years ago, she had collapsed and cried in the shower stall for hours. It was his turn.

"That gets better every single time," he told her cheerfully as he rubbed his chin against his collarbone.

"Then I guess we can end things on a high note," she responded.

"Hmm?" he asked her, cuddling her moist body as the shower washed over them.

Para suddenly felt the world around her go silent. She could no longer hear the spray of the shower or her own breathing. She suddenly felt like she was watching a silent movie and had lost her ability to speak. Goten pulled away to observe her curiously, and she tried to make her lips move.

"Goten, I need to tell you something."

"What's up?"

Their voices echoed in her mind in such a distorted, garbled way that she could have sworn they were speaking underwater, or with their mouths and ears stuffed full of cotton. She could not understand anything, but she knew she needed to push forward. She reached out to put her hands in Goten's hair, holding the thick, wet black strands in between her fingers. It was so hard to do this. How had he done it? It did not matter. The point was that he had done it.

"Are you okay? What's going on?" Goten asked again.

"I'm not going to be around much longer," she told him.

"Okay," he said with a shrug. "When are you leaving?"

"Tonight."

"Where are you going?" he asked. "Another observatory?"

"No," she said, feeling like her jaw was made of lead. "This house is yours, if you want it."

"What do you mean?" he asked, starting to realize that something was really, truly wrong.

"I'm leaving you," she said, swallowing the bile that instantly rose as she said the words. The same words he had said to her. Tears gathered in her eyes as she echoed his voice from her memories. "It's over between us."

"Para," he said with a warning in his voice. "You're kidding, right?"

_Were you kidding when you did this to me? _She shook her head slowly, unable to respond.

"I don't understand," he said almost violently, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her roughly. "What the fuck is going on here?"

_Revenge, apparently. _She found that she was hyperventilating, and unable to breathe. The feeling of crushing her own soul with the heel of her boot was slightly less pleasurable than she had anticipated. "This was all a mistake," she told him as the memories flashed through her mind. "It's for the best that I leave. I have to go."

"You can't," he said quietly. "You're all I have. I love you."

_Say it, Para. Say the words. He said them to you. You'll never forget, and you'll never be able to move on unless you do it. _"I don't…" She paused, almost gagging on the words. The lie tasted rotten on her tongue. "I don't love you."

Para was startled when she found Goten's hands suddenly wrapped tightly around her throat.

"You lying bitch!" Goten shouted as he crushed Para's neck. "How can you do this to me?"

She smiled then, welcoming the pain. She felt him powering up quite massively and rapidly, and knew that she should do the same. Somehow, she couldn't make herself access her strength. She almost hoped he would crush her neck completely.

Goten's eyes flashed teal as he powered up to the second level. _"I need you!" _he shouted. "I need you here with me, Para!"

She tried to speak, but was unable to form words underneath the crushing grip of his hands. Even this made her smile, for it pleased her to know that she could make him feel so upset. It was satisfying to see him lose control. _I'm sorry, but I have to go, _she told him mentally._ Haven't you ever had to leave someone who needed you, Goten?_

"No!" he roared, as energy cackled around him. She realized that he was transforming to the third level and not yet mastered himself in the form. He would kill her unless she defended herself. "I would never do anything like this to _anyone!"_

Para would have laughed if her throat had not been severely restricted. With a burst of power, she twisted away from his grip. Her deep blue eyes sparkled at him, as she tried to push past him and move away. "Goodbye, Goten."

"You're not walking out on me," he warned her, grabbing her arm. "I swear to Dende that if you try to leave…"

"You'll what?" she asked, putting her face very close to his. "You'll hurt me? You'll kill me? You already did."

"What?" he asked in confusion. "No. No, I'm so sorry. I don't want to hurt you. I just—lost my mind for a second. Please, Para…" She watched in surprise as he sunk to the floor, sitting down abruptly. His moist, naked skin was tantalizing as he looked down helplessly. "Just don't go."

Para wanted to follow him and hug him fiercely and tell him that she hadn't meant any of it. But she had, except for the part about not loving him; she really did feel that it was best that she leave.

"Look, Goten," she said softly. "I did lie—only because I thought it would make things easier. But I can't do that to you, because I know how it feels to believe that you're not loved. It destroyed me once, and I never really got over it. I probably never will. So I want you to know that I _do_ love you. Very much, in fact." His eyes turned up to gaze at her hopefully, and she gave him a stern smile. "I'm still leaving, but I promise that a part of me will always be near you in some way, shape, or form. You won't be alone."

Goten scowled. "That's the shit you're going to feed me? That I'm lucky enough to receive your spiritual love from afar? I get enough of that from my fucking father. No, Para. Medea. Whoever you are, whatever you want to be called. I don't need your pity or your distant affection. _I need you. _I need _you_ to be right here beside me, all the time."

"No, you don't. Not me specifically."

"What the hell?" Goten shook his head in disbelief. "You don't understand, do you? Everything was wrong in my life until you came into it. You took me out of a really dark place and made everything right. You made me quit smoking, and you helped me go Super Saiyan 3. Come on, M! You're my girl."

"I know that it was exciting to you when it was wrong," she told him, "and after that it was convenient. But don't delude yourself that…"

"Is this about marriage?" Goten asked desperately. "Because I want to marry you. Please, please stay and we'll get married and…"

"Wow," she whispered, backing away, "just wow."

She stumbled out of the shower, clenching one hand around her abdomen as she pressed two fingers to her forehead. When her body materialized again, Para wrapped a second arm around herself and stumbled through the unfamiliar room. She hugged her naked body tightly, as if trying to keep herself in one piece.

If she fell apart now, she would fall apart completely.

"Why is that?" she asked herself as she moved toward a mirror, gazing thoughtfully at her reflection. She was in the new house that Marron had helped her to find, one that was painted with the substance that would conceal her ki from anyone who could sense energy. "He wanted to marry Para, but not Bra. Why is that?"

Reaching out to lift the mirror off the wall, she held the ornate frame up at an arm's length away from her as she rotated slowly. She continued walking through the room, holding the mirror and staring at her naked reflection. Finally, she seated herself on her new couch.

"Tell me why!" she demanded of herself in the mirror. "What was wrong with me? Why wasn't I good enough, and now suddenly, I am?"

The distraught girl waited for a moment before answering herself. "It's because you treated him like shit this time. That placed you in the position of power. Last time, you were good to him, and you gave him all of your love and kindness. All the good stuff you could find inside of you, you gave it all to him. That gets boring."

Para brought the mirror closer to her face and studied her reflection more closely. She could see the handprints on her neck from where Goten had squeezed her. "So, you did it, Para," she said to herself, gazing into her own indigo eyes. "You have successfully turned the tables. You made them both know what it felt like when they treated you like shit."

_I just don't know why it has to be this way. Why can't two people just be mutually kind and good to each other? Why does there always have to be a power relationship of the abuser and the abused? Why does the victim always want to cling to the person hurting them? Why does there always have to be the victor and the defeated? Why can't both parties win?_

She suddenly straightened herself and glared at her reflection. "It doesn't matter. You won this time. You did it. You're the perfect woman."

The energy traveling between her hands was so hot that the mirror she held began to warp and melt.

* * *

There we go! Hope you liked it. What did you think? =)


	28. Limits of Existence

Chapter 28: Limits of Existence

Enjoy!

~PanHopeNvs

* * *

_One Year Later…_

An indigo iris drew near to the lens of a microscope. The pupil dilated as it stared unblinkingly through the lens for several seconds. The sound of a buzz-like ringing caused the eyeball to dart to the side for an instant before gazing back into the eyepiece. Finally, midnight-blue lashes blinked rapidly as the eye pulled away from the apparatus.

"It works," she whispered to herself. "This time it really works." Grabbing her notebook, she began to furiously scribble a note.

_Marron,_

_Senzu Bean extract synthesized into serum 7.0 successfully heals damaged human tissue in under five seconds. Please send these samples and the formula to mom for clinical trials. Say it's from Pan and Bra._

_Para_

Ripping the page out of the notebook, she grabbed a few vials of the liquid which were scattered around on the table. She rushed out of the tiny laboratory, before remembering that she had forgotten to turn the light off.

Para paused, allowing her tail to flick backwards and hit the light switch.

She had accomplished much in the past year of solitude, and growing a tail was one of the few real challenges she'd faced. It had taken her about four months of after-training hours to develop the necessary technology, and another two months to implement the therapy. Regardless of what science and research she pursued, Para always prioritized training. She spent six hours in the morning training her mind through meditation à la Piccolo, and another six hours in the evening training her body. The hours before, in-between, and after these training sessions were rationed for the precious purposes of science and sleep.

Para did not like sleeping.

Moving into her living room, she picked up the phone which connected to her doorbell-buzzer. "Hello?" she answered as she stuffed the vials and note into an envelope.

"Miss Brieson, it's Jóhann here."

The sound of another human voice. A male voice. She closed her voice briefly at the simple pleasure. "Come in," she said, quickly punching a code into the phone. Lifting the envelope to her lips, she licked the seal and pressed it shut. Para began to pace back and forth before the sofa in her living room as her visitor entered her front door and made his way deeper into the house. She wrapped her tail around her waist like a fuzzy brown belt, listening to his footsteps and the sound of trolley wheels echoing in her hallways. Finally, the door swung open and a large, muscular blonde man arrived, pushing a cart of prepackaged meals.

Para almost jumped on the shipment of MREs. Rushing forward, she placed her own envelope on top of the boxes before using her fingernails to rip open a carton and tear open one of the plastic packages inside. She poured the contents into her mouth hungrily, not caring that the blonde man was staring at her curiously. Once there was something in her stomach, she turned on the man furiously.

"Jóhann, what took you so long? You're three days late!"

"Very sorry, Miss Brieson. Big blizzard in city. No roads cleared. Could not get out of Reykjavik until this morning. Even so my truck went sliding off the roads into a ditch at least three times on my drive up here. I had to dig myself out of the damned snowbanks."

"I've been _so_ hungry," Para said as she ripped open another package and began to eat. "I hope you brought extra."

"Of course, Miss Brieson. Very sorry. May I warm my hands by the fire?"

"Sure," she mumbled, her mouth full of food. She continued to eat as the man moved over to her electric fireplace and extended his large burly hands, removing his woolen mittens.

Para couldn't believe how hungry she was. Of course, she was a saiyan—it should not have been surprising. But being so alone in the middle of nowhere, so deprived of contact with her usual delicacies and comforts, made food taste even more amazing than usual. She had not left the house in an entire year. The moment she stepped outside, her power level would be detected and she would be unable to hide from the anger of her friends and family. Especially Goten. However, while she was within the walls of the distant little cottage, she was protected by her ki-concealing paint. She needed to remain in hiding for as long as it was necessary. Until she was needed.

"Miss Brieson, I am sorry to impose," came a masculine voice from across the room. "It is still storming outside and very cold—it is several hours back to the city and it will be dark soon. Do you think I could stay the night?"

Para's head snapped away from the packets of food she was hungrily consuming to look at the man who had delivered them. For the first time, she seemed to notice his physique. Jóhann was tall and muscular, and even somewhat handsome. His Scandinavian features were chiseled and appealing, and his blonde hair and blue eyes reminded her vaguely of Trunks when he was Super Saiyan.

"I have a bottle of wine in the car," Jóhann suggested. "We could share a drink by the fire and get to know each other a little better."

This sounded mightily tempting. Para hadn't been around a man since she had left Goten, and part of her yearned to have some kind of small intimacy with another human being. Conversation would be nice. Very nice. He was a complete stranger on the other side of the planet; she could potentially tell him everything—well, almost everything—and hear the honest opinions of an outsider.

"You like this idea, yes?" he said hopefully. He began moving out of the room, presumably to get the bottle of wine. "I will be back soon with libations."

"Wait," Para said, moving swiftly to block his exit, placing her palm against his shoulder. "No, I don't think…"

"I will not do anything to make you uncomfortable," Jóhann promised, reaching up to clasp her hand. "I will sleep on couch tonight."

She hesitated, glancing over at the couch. It would be nice to have some company. Then, unbidden, his thoughts began to seep into her mind. She saw steamy images of them together on the couch, with wine glasses discarded on the coffee table. She saw a blanket wrapped around her waist as she straddled his naked body, moaning in abandon. _I would not sound like that, _she thought defensively. At any rate, she was grateful that she could see his line of thinking.

"I'm sorry to kick you out into the snowstorm," she said sternly, "but you need to go."

"But, Miss Brieson, my car is old and…"

"Any girl, anywhere, would be thrilled to have such an offer. Any girl but me. I'm too fucked up to be fucked, Jóhann. I mean it. If I lose any more screws I will go bananas, explode, and toast this place to cinders."

"This place? Iceland?" he asked with concern, eyeing the military-grade food supplies. He had long suspected that the secretive girl was some kind of governmental spy.

"Yeah, right. Iceland," she said, rolling her eyes. "I could sink this country with a sneeze. No one cares about Iceland."

"Then why are you here?" he asked with a patriotic frown.

"Because no one cares about Iceland," she answered as though it were the most obvious reason in the world. She suddenly remembered her envelope and grabbed it from on top of the pile of boxes, stretching her arm out to him. "Please mail this off to Marron for me when you get back to town. It's important."

"It's always important with you."

"That's right," she said sweetly, reaching into her pocket and pulling out some bills of Icelandic króna. "That's why I give such generous tips. Please make sure this gets safely to Japan—and don't be late with my shipments again!"

"I'll bring your food on time next month," he promised. "Although I don't know how a little girl like you can eat enough for ten men."

"That's really none of your concern," she said with a frown. "Although, if you keep asking questions, being late with my supplies, and trying to sleep with me, finding new employment _will be_ your primary concern."

Jóhann grew suddenly pale. "Very sorry, miss. Will not bother you anymore. I have a wife and children at home and I need this job."

"You have a… get out of here!" Para shouted. When he left, plunging the house into silence, she suddenly regretted not letting him stay the night. She would not see another human being for an entire month; not until she ran out of food again. Usually when her shipment arrived she was excited to check the boxes to see if Marron had sent her anything extra. Sometimes she got photographs of Marron's kids, or group photos of her friends and family at a gathering. This time, she felt so empty that she did not even want to see the news from home. She sighed, moving over to her fireplace and extending her own fingers.

"Get a grip," she told herself. "No time for boys, Para. You've gotta train."

* * *

Sitting cross-legged in her training-room, Para opened her eyes. She looked down at her watch, which used to measure the limits of her existence. Now, it measured how long she could continue meditating.

"Six days," she whispered, seeing that the clock measured 150 hours and 48 minutes. She usually rounded down to try and push herself harder. "Definitely not my best. I can do better." Taking a deep breath, Para closed her eyes again, intending to plunge herself back into a deep meditation. She was almost beyond herself, almost in the world where she could examine and fortify the roots of her power, when a small voice inside her began to pull her back to her body.

_Relax, _the voice said softly. _You deserve a break. Relax, Para._

She opened one eye skeptically. "But do I really? I am not even half as strong as I need to be. I can't even go Super Saiyan 4 yet, and if I can't do that, growing this tail was useless!"

_Relax, Para. You've done all you can._

"I can do more," she assured the voice angrily. "I can do much more if I just keep pushing myself."

_You've done so much. Developed a special medicine with your knowledge of medicine and technology. Grown yourself a tail, allowing you to tap into your natural saiyan powers and increase your strength tenfold. Spent dozens of weeks deep in meditation to hone your spiritual abilities. It's more than one woman can ask of herself!_

"I'm not one woman," Para reminded the voice in her head. "And I've done so many bad things that I need to make sure my good things are more than enough to make up for it. At least to appease my own conscience."

_As you wish. As you see fit. It is your life._

With that, Para closed her eyes and returned to meditating. The truth was that even though she had done so much in this one long year of loneliness, it had been enjoyable for the most part. All of her labors exercised her strengths and passions. She enjoyed working in the lab. She enjoyed experimenting on herself and trying to cause a tail to grow out of her ass—or technically, her coccyx. (In her research, she had found that even some humans were born with a vestigial tail. All human embryos had a tail for a few weeks during development, and even though she was a human-saiyan hybrid, her human genetics should be largely compatible with supporting a tail growing out of her bone structure.) And most of all, she enjoyed training and meditating.

She was in a good place.

The moments in between her activities were sometimes difficult, but she never allowed herself much time to think or rest. She knew that she couldn't think about the past or face her memories, so she clung fast to her routine and her goals, and didn't allow herself to take a breather. She focused on getting through each day, and getting to the next with some sort of small accomplishment.

Sometimes she felt sad, and sometimes she felt triumphant. But most importantly, she was beginning to feel a sense of peacefulness. She was beginning to appreciate her peace, for she knew it could not last forever. It never did.

* * *

Goten couldn't sleep. He was lying on the roof of his mother's house at Mt. Paozu and smoking a cigarette. A whole pack, really. It had seemed natural to take it up again after his atrocious break up with Para.

_"That's karma," Chi-Chi had said over dinner. "You can't treat someone that way and not expect someone to treat you the same way someday."_

_"I don't want to talk about it, Mom!" he had snapped. "Please stop bringing Para into our conversations."_

_"Para?" Chi-Chi had commented in surprise._

_"Yeah," Goten said as he sipped his soup. "That was her real name."_

_"Mercy me," Chi-Chi had whispered thoughtfully. "So her name was Para."_

_"I don't want to hear about her! I don't want to hear her name!"_

_"Don't you think it's been long enough that we can talk about it?" Chi-Chi asked gently. "It's been a year, honey."_

_"I can't—I just can't." The spoon was bending under Goten's grip. "What she did to me—I can't."_

_"I see. Well, we don't have to talk about that. We can keep pushing the important subjects under the rug like most families. We can keep ignoring the painful lessons that have hurt us for the purpose of allowing us to learn and grow."_

_"Exactly."_

_Chi-Chi released a gentle sigh. "So, what do you think of the turnip soup?"_

_Goten polished off the last few drops at the bottom of his bowl before answering. "It's awesome as usual, Mom."_

_"Yes, well, that's fine." Chi-Chi wiped her hands on her napkin and rose from the table. "Do you mind doing the dishes tonight? I think I should retire early."_

_"No problem," he said with surprise. "Is everything okay, Mom?"_

_"Sure," she answered with a smile, "but washing a little boy's dirty dishes can get tiring after forty years. I could use some rest."_

_"I'm sorry," Goten said, picking up the plates carefully. He blushed. "I'll try to help out around the house a little more."_

_"You always say that, don't you?" Chi-Chi mused. She stood for a moment and watched as Goten made several trips carrying dishes to the sink. "Honey, you do know that I love you, right?"_

_He paused in confusion. "What, Mom? Of course."_

_Chi-Chi nodded and lowered her eyes to the floor. "I just wanted to make sure. I want you to know that no matter what, regardless of what you did and what you didn't do, I love you dearly."_

_"I love you too, Mom," Goten said in confusion as he balanced two arms filled with dishes._

_"You're my son, and you've always been here for me, even when I pushed you away. Being here was more than most of the men in this family could manage to do. So thank you."_

_Goten frowned. "Mom?"_

_Chi-Chi smiled sadly as she moved from the room. "Goodnight, dear."_

Now, as Goten laid atop the roof with a cigarette poised between his fingers, watching the starlight over the mountains, it occurred to him that he really hadn't done dishes in as long as he could remember. He had been awkward with the sponge and he had poured far too much soap, causing the sink to fill up with bubbles. If his mother hadn't been doing his dishes, Para or Bra had done them. There had never been a need for him to get his hands dirty with the soapy dishwater.

_That's almost ironic, _he thought to himself, _considering how much I eat. I don't think I've ever done laundry either. I guess I always just took for granted that they were women's duties. _He puffed thoughtfully on his cigarette. _Maybe that's why Para left me. Because I was so fucking useless._

Pointing his finger up at a particularly bright star, Goten released a ki ball into the night sky. He knew that it would never reach its destination, but he felt the inexplicable urge to make a wish on the shooting star of his own creation. _I want Para back, _he begged the night sky. _Please let her come back to me. I don't know what I did wrong, but I can change. I'll even do her dishes and laundry. I really mean it._

A distant crash alerted Goten's sensitive saiyan hearing and he sat up on the roof. His ears strained to hear more, and he managed to make out a muffled sob. Allowing the cigarette to fall from his fingers and tumble across the roof, Goten flew rapidly down into the house, following the sound of his mother's gasps.

"Mom!" he shouted when he saw her fallen body. She was lying on the floor in the corridor, with a shattered picture frame not far away from her outstretched hand. The framed photograph depicted a young Chi-Chi in her wedding dress beside Goku in a white tuxedo—the blushing bride was resting her head against his shoulder and smiling up at him happily. There was a garland of white flowers in her hair, a strand of pearls around her neck, and none of the wrinkles that time had carved into the face of the woman lying on the ground beside the picture frame. Goten swallowed as he swept the glass away from her fingers. "Mom, what happened?"

"I just tripped," Chi-Chi said, but there were dried tears on her cheeks. "I just…"

Goten then realized that his mother was too weak to get back to bed. His heart sank at this knowledge, but he gently reached out and lifted her off the ground. She was bony and light as a feather as he rose to his feet, moving carefully back to her room to deposit her onto her bed.

"My picture," she whispered, reaching out desperately. "Please get me that picture, Goten."

Obediently moving back to the hallway, Goten picked up the photograph that had fallen from the wall. He brushed out a few pieces of glass before gazing down sadly at his parents. He moved back to his mother's side, handing her the frame.

She took it with trembling hands, looking at it for a moment before clutching it to her chest. "I want to see him again. Do you think I'll see him again?"

"I hope we all will, someday," Goten admitted sadly.

"I deserve that much, don't I?" Chi-Chi asked. "For being the woman behind the man, and all that? Surely I contributed something. Surely I helped out in some way."

"He couldn't have done any of it without you, Mom."

Chi-Chi laughed lightly at this. "Oh, I was useless to him. An inconvenience. I probably held him back from doing more. No, honey, Goku was never mine. He belonged to the world."

"Don't say that, Mom. You're talking crazy."

"He never had any desire for family," she mused softly. "I forced it on him. I forced a lot of things on a lot of people. You were the only one that could never be forced, Goten. You're like him. You're so much like him."

Goten could not respond, for he was afraid of the glazed-over look in his mother's eyes. She seemed to be looking directly through him, to some distant world he could not see.

"There are some earrings in that drawer," Chi-Chi said weakly, gesturing to her nightstand. "For Panny. Tell her that she should always follow her heart."

"You'll tell her yourself, Mom."

"Please, Goten. Tell your brother that he's a good boy. Tell Gohan that I'm proud of him. I might not always show it, but no mother ever had more reasons to be proud of her son. And tell Videl that she was the daughter I never had. Tell her thanks for taking care of me and…"

"What are you saying? Stop this, Mom!" Goten was beginning to grow upset. "Are you not feeling well? Should I get a doctor?" He looked around helplessly, unsure of what to do.

Chi-Chi just clasped her photograph against her chest more tightly. "I feel wonderful, honey. Do I look okay?" Her dark eyes shone as she stared up at the ceiling tearfully. "I want to look nice when I see him again. I know he hasn't changed a bit. He never changes."

* * *

_Something's wrong._

Para's fingers twitched as the voice inside her head tried to disturb her meditation.

_Wake up, Para. Come back down._

She inhaled sharply through her nose, trying to block out the annoying voice and focus on her ki.

_You're needed._

Her eyes finally shot open, and she glanced down at her watch in disappointment. "Only thirty minutes this time?" she said in surprise. "That's pathetic." Still, a shiver ran through her shoulders at the uncanny amount of time. She felt like it had been much longer. Picking herself off the ground, she allowed a yawn to escape her lips. "I'm just tired," she reasoned as she tried to shake away the stiffness in her body from being seated in the same position for long hours. "Tired of concentrating so hard." She took herself into her bedroom and plopped down on the side of her bed. Reaching up to slip her hands under the fabric at the neck of her orange training gi, she rubbed her sore shoulders. She considered changing into a nightgown or pajamas, instead of sleeping in her tattered and sweaty gi, but she was too exhausted. Para allowed her body to collapse on the bed and she exhaled blissfully at the surrender of impending slumber.

_There's something wrong._

She groaned and lifted herself off the bed, rubbing both of her hands in her hair. _Damn that voice! _She yanked her body off the bed and began pacing back and forth across the floor. Her spirit was antsy and unsettled, even more than usual. With a frustrated growl, she moved over to her bedroom mirror. Sometimes when she was feeling frustrated or lost, she liked to stare into mirrors for a few minutes to remind herself of who she was—and why she was. She sometimes uttered mental mantras, but she could not think of any to soothe herself at the moment. Wrapping her arms around herself, Para tried not to acknowledge her debilitating loneliness.

How could she be lonely? She was two people.

For some reason, her thoughts drifted to Zvarin. _Does he feel as alone as I do? If he's made from a hundred men, surely some of them had lovers and wives. Did they forsake them in order to be joined with him? Did that love become diminished because of the fusion? A hundred times less love? One hundredth of the love? Is that the way it works? Poor Zvarin. But it didn't work that way for me, did it? My love for Goten and Trunks was multiplied. There is some sort of precise mathematical equation to explain my situation; some kind of emotional accounting algorithm._

_One dad x2 = 2 dads._

_One mom x2 = 2 moms._

_One brother/2 = half a brother?_

_One uncle/2 = half an uncle?_

_Two lovers x crap = more crap._

_Friends, grandma, grandpa, pet robot;_

_Everything I had x 30 minutes_

_= 0_

_Zero. That seems about right. If I carry the three and subtract the everything. It's those thirty minutes that ruined my life, not everything that happened before. I did it all on my own._

These arbitrary equations and other similarly foolish calculations often danced across Para's mind. Sometimes she could not remember what she had intended to gain from being a fused being. Strength? Sure. Justice? Sure. But nothing else. Nothing else.

Nothing that could keep her warm at night. Nothing that could fill the emptiness in the bottom of the widening chasm at her core.

Para tightened her grip on her own shoulders as she glared at her reflection. She knew she would feel a little better once she got some sleep. When her thoughts grew dismal and restless after being awake for long hours, she usually felt magically better upon waking up in the morning. Carrying herself back across the room, she rubbed her hands up and down over her biceps, as though she was trying to warm herself up; as though hugging herself would ease the sadness of isolation away. She sometimes wondered if she ever really had been two people. It seemed unreal. Pan and Bra were just concepts—just fables of people that could have existed. They were her own private creation myth, but no more than a myth. She felt like she had always been Para.

As she nestled herself down into bed, she wondered if she would ever attempt to cut herself in half again. What would she be? Less. Less of a woman. Less of a human. Less of a saiyan. Less of a fighter. Less of a scientist. Just... less. This was the final gloomy notion which clouded her thoughts before sleep began to tug her down and away, into a different world.

_Para! You're needed._

She released a loud whimper, reaching up to slap herself in the forehead "Who are you? What do you want?" she asked the voice in frustration.

_Come home. Please. We need you here._

"There are no big energy signals. No one is fighting. Nothing is happening at home," Para said out loud, pressing her hands over her eyes. "I don't know what the hell I could possibly be needed for…"

Para froze. She sat up slowly in bed, letting her eyes dart around the room frantically. Something _was_ wrong. She tried to sense the ki levels of everyone she knew, and she could not sense anything suspicious, but—she found herself bolting out of bed and moving over to her dresser. She pulled out her top drawer, where she kept three cell phones. Para's own phone was in the center while Pan and Bra's were on either side. She made sure that she used a scrambler so that the phones would not betray her identity. The phones were kept on silent so that they would not disturb her, but she did keep them plugged in and charged up in case of emergency.

From the looks of things, there had been an emergency.

22 missed calls from Goten. 10 missed calls from Trunks. 35 missed calls from Gohan. She had received hundreds of text messages from her friends and family members over the course of the year. Some she had read while most were left unread, but she had not received many calls. In fact, one of her phones was currently ringing. It was Pan's phone and she hesitantly reached out to pick up the small rectangle. She knew that the moment she answered the phone, she would expose herself to being hurt again. But what terrified her more was the thought that someone else was hurt and that she could potentially help. She gazed down at Goten's photo on her phone, feeling fear eat away at her insides.

Slowly, she raised the phone to her ear, knowing that her voice would be transmitted as Pan's.

"Hello?" she answered quietly, praying for fate to be gentle.

It was not Goten's voice that came through the phone, but Videl's stern reprimand:

"I don't know where the hell you are or what the hell your problem is, young lady! And I don't care either. You need to get to Mt. Paozu right now."

"Mom?" Para said in surprise.

Videl's voice suddenly cracked and the tough-as-nails woman released something of a sob. "Panny, please. Come home. It's your grandmother. She's dead."

* * *

Para had not noticed that she had slid down to sit on the ground, with the phone still held suspended in her hand. She reminded herself to blink. Then she reminded herself to breathe. Her mother had said many words, most of which had jumbled together in a nonsensical blob of distorted audio. From what she had managed to gather, a wake was currently being held at the Son home. Her whole family was gathered there, and they hoped she could make it to the event to look upon Chi-Chi's face one final time.

"Grandma?" Para repeated to herself softly. The news had yet to be fully processed in her mind, and she had difficulty believing its truth. She found herself sensing for her grandmother's energy signal, only to be met with an absence. She slammed her hand on the carpeted ground, trying again and again to sense for the woman's ki. "It's a lie," she said firmly. "It's a ploy to get me home. Grandma wasn't even sick. It's a trick. It's all a trick."

She gulped down these words, tasting her own fear on the syllables. Her hand moved down to her thigh, and she tried to pinch the flesh just above her knee. Finding not enough skin or fat there, she moved her hand up to her ear and pinched the sensitive folds between her thumb and forefinger. "Please. It's a nightmare. Just one of my many dreams about my family—my subconscious mind worries about these things. Please. I want to wake up now. Maybe I fell asleep while meditating. That's really amateur, Para." Her ear was beginning to hurt, and she was sure she could use that pain to take her back to the waking world.

"Wake up," she chanted as she pinched herself. When this failed, she pounded her fist into the ground again and ordered herself, _"Wake up!"_ Of course, nothing happened. Sitting in silence for a few minutes, Para began to realize the truth of the matter.

_Look upon your grandmother's face one final time._

"Oh my god," she said simply. "Dende, this is real?" Closing her eyes, she found herself tugging the katchin rings off her index fingers. She removed her bracelets as well, and adjusted her seating position so she could reach her anklets. She quickly undid all of her jewelry, until she reached her katchin necklace. Para hesitated briefly, afraid of the affect that this would have on her body.

She had not separated in over two years. From the moment this jewelry had been placed on her body, she had been unable to exist separately as Pan or Bra. Now, it was necessary. Her hands struggled with the clasp of the necklace as Para fought the panic attack in her chest.

She had spent six months with Trunks. Six months with Goten. One year training alone. She did not know if she knew how to be her respective selves anymore. She had not been prepared for this.

"Don't be a wimp," Para told herself angrily as her fingers seemed to refuse to undo the necklace. "You need to divide. Come on, Para!" With a burst of purpose, she ripped the necklace from her neck.

There was a blinding flash, similar to an explosion, and Pan and Bra went flying away from the center of the light. Pan found herself crashing into their wooden furniture while Bra had a luckier landing on the soft mattress before tumbling off the bed. Pan lay limply for several seconds, her head spinning as she saw stars dancing about the room. She felt like she was underwater, and someone was shining rainbow-colored lights through the cloudy waves.

"God, Pan," Bra managed to choke out. "I think I'm going to throw up. My body—there's too much pain. I feel like I've been turned inside out. We need to fuse again _now!"_

Pan seized her ears as a ringing in her head began to overshadow her friend's voice. She had many of the same feelings, but she knew she had to fight through them. _It's my grandma,_ she told Bra telepathically. _I have to go. Will you come with me?_

"Give me a few minutes to get my bearings. I don't think I can stand up right now," Bra said with a frown as she tried to use the bed to pull herself off the ground and ended up falling again. "Good Dende, I feel like I'm drunk and on weed, crack cocaine, and heroin all at the same time."

"I need to go now," Pan said sharply. "If you can't pull yourself together…"

"For Dende's sake! Just go without me. We can't show up wearing the same outfit anyway, torn in all the same places." Bra waved her hand as if shooing Pan away. "Go. I'll follow in a few minutes with better clothes."

"Not even yourself for a minute and you already want to change your clothes," Pan commented. Then her brow creased in surprise. "Wait, so you're going to fly from Iceland to Japan?"

"I have been_ you _for two years and you think I don't know Instant Transmission?"

"Good point." Pan was raising two fingers to her forehead when Bra reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Piercing blue eyes glared at her. "Seriously, girlfriend. Once this wake is over, we need to meet back here and fuse up again. I feel like I'm going to die if I go another minute in this shitty body."

Pan nodded. "It's hurting me too. I don't think we can stay un-fused for very long, but I need to do this now. I'll bear the pain for a few minutes." Driving her fingers into her forehead, Pan sent her body materializing across Europe and Asia, and directly to her childhood home where all her friends and family were gathered. The dizziness that she felt caused her to grab the nearest object for support, and that happened to be a doorframe.

Everyone in the room was speaking in hushed tones among themselves, so it was a moment before anyone noticed her. The first person to lock eyes with her had a piercing blue gaze identical to Bra's. Seeing Trunks again was like a dagger to the heart, and she found herself stumbling backwards in terror. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

"Panny," he said softly. His eyes stayed locked with hers for nothing short of an eternity, but soon they began to travel down to her damaged gi. "You were training?"

She nodded briefly, unable to speak. He was wearing a formal black suit, and his lavender hair was slicked back with gel. She could not begin to try communicating with him, so she pulled herself away from Trunks and moved into the Son home, feeling suddenly very small and very afraid. After the magnitude of the fight between Trunks and Goten, she knew that it would have taken nothing short of a tragedy to bring them into the same room. She felt tremors creep into her hands and arms, and wondered if the shaking was emotionally induced or physiological, due to the fusion-break.

She stared at the various people in the room through eyes that were clouded with a foggy mist. She recognized Vegeta and Bulma walking together. Bulma was pressing her face into her handkerchief as Vegeta consoled her. Pan squinted, for as the couple moved aside, she could see the coffin become visible. She could see the body laid out in the coffin. Her heart skipped a beat.

The pale skin of Chi-Chi's serene face was visible through the crowd, her dark hair spread out all around her face. Even at her age, her hair was only barely touched by traces of silver. The expression on her face was beautiful and chilling at the same time. She looked happy. Pan found herself weaving between her family members, blinking away tears as she passed her mother, father, and Hercule Satan on her way to the coffin. She thought she noticed a flash of blonde hair from the corner of her eye that could have been Marron or Android 18, but she was in too much of a daze to process anything other than the dreadful scene in her direct line of sight.

"No," Pan blurted out as she moved forward. "No." Her fingers extended to rest on the cold metal edge of the coffin as she beheld the woman inside. She reached out gingerly, with one final fleeting hope that this was some kind of trick. When her hand connected with her grandmother's cheek, the skin was cold and lifeless. There was no ki inside the body. "Grandma…" Pan felt her tears spill over her eyelashes.

Chi-Chi had lived a full and amazing life, she reminded herself. It did not stop her tears, but it somehow helped to keep her insides from tearing apart. This woman had been loved and respected by her children and grandchildren. She had built a home; she had been the matriarch of a solid family. Pan felt... proud. Proud to be related to this magnificent woman. She felt suddenly inferior, and wondered whether she would ever accomplish what Chi-Chi had. As she looked upon her grandmother's corpse, she realized for the first time in years that she was proud to be _herself_, and not Para. She, Pan, had a wonderful family. She knew that she had so much of Chi-Chi's fierce spirit inside her; she had seen it there all her life, when she used to look into the mirror long ago. When she used to get angry and cry and find hidden stores of power. The explosive and emotional feminine nature of her ki—that came from Chi-Chi. That was subdued when she was Para. The connection to her roots was there, but it was distant and diluted.

She did not want her family bonds to be diluted, but she had done exactly that. In being Para, she had sacrificed precious time with her grandmother. Tears streamed down her face.

_Oh, Grandma. What have I done?_

Pan placed both hands on her face, trying to hold back a torrent of tears. Her whole body was shuddering with the effort. She felt a hand rest comfortingly on her back, and she turned to its source. She saw a pair of familiar brown eyes, laced with a heavy sadness. Goten. The two stared at each other for a terrible tense moment, with all the frustration and pain of estranged family members.

Pan's guilt overwhelmed her as she witnessed her uncle's grief. The sorrow emanated from his pores in tender waves of pain which she keenly felt. How could she ever have intended to harm him? The innocence and anguish on his face broke her heart, and she was immediately filled with pity and regret. Then, brimming up underneath that, finally rose the love for him that she had locked away deep inside her.

"Goten," she whispered brokenly. She could see it in his eyes that he knew—he knew from that one word that his niece had forgiven him everything. All the animosity between them had instantly dissipated. Pan ached with the full knowledge of what she had done to him. She knew that he had been closer to her grandmother than anyone else, and she could see that he was suffering beyond her understanding. Guilt for a million misdeeds bubbled up in her chest, rendering her inarticulate. "Uncle Goten," she mumbled again. "I didn't get to see her. I didn't get to spend time with her."

"Shh, kiddo."

She found herself wrapped up in a giant bear hug, and she knew she was home.

Pan allowed her pent-up sobs to break forth against Goten's chest. She found herself shaking and crying uncontrollably as he held her. They both remained like that beside Chi-Chi's body, mourning their lost family member together. When Pan finally felt her tears subside, she was startled by Goten pulling away from her. He had rushed to the coffin where Chi-Chi's body had begun to disappear.

"Mom!" he shouted hysterically through his tears, reaching out to grasp the woman's shoulders as if to hold onto her. _"Mom!"_

The wife of Goku had finally ascended to Otherworld.

Goten hunched over the empty casket, crying afresh as though he were losing her all over again. "_No!_ Don't take her, don't take her! Not yet. Mom! Please, _Mom!"_

As Pan watched his heart wrenching display of emotion, she pressed a hand over her mouth to try to restrain herself from crying more. She had abandoned her entire family. She had abandoned her dying grandmother, wasting priceless time that she could never get back. She had abandoned her distraught uncle. She had abandoned her father and mother. She had abandoned Hercule Satan. Why? Why had she done all this? Had losing Goku scarred her so deeply that she had been afraid to get close to her family members, lest they vanish like he had?

Goten continued to call for his mother in despair, while Gohan tried to soothe the man.

"Hey, little bro. Relax!" Gohan said with a strained cheerfulness, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "This is what you said she wanted. She's going to see Dad again."

"I would like to see Kakkarot when I die too," Vegeta added. "He promised me a grand battle."

"Shut up, Vegeta," Bulma said with frustration, "or I'll help you get to Otherworld."

Meanwhile, Goten was still crying, not at all comforted by his brother's words, and certainly not by Vegeta's. The sounds of approaching footsteps were heard as someone else moved to Goten's side. The lavender-haired man cleared his throat to get his friend's attention, and looked at him intently. From Pan's estimation, this was the first time Trunks and Goten had made eye contact since the incident.

"Our time here is short," Trunks said gently. "We can't afford to let go of the people we love. We can't have any bad blood between brothers."

Goten nodded, wiping his sleeve across his nose and looking down at his friend's feet. "I'm sorry, Trunks—"

"No, man. _I'm_ sorry."

The two men embraced, and Pan felt a wall break inside of her. Her heart swelled to see their friendship mended before her eyes. Trunks clapped Goten firmly on the back with the clasp of a deep and ancient camaraderie. A few seconds into the hug, he lifted his chin to look at her and gave her a kind smile over Goten's shoulder. Her chest throbbed with discomfort to know that she had caused their problems. She was responsible for all of this! Was she somehow accountable for her grandmother's death? A bout of nausea caused her to bolt into the woods outside her house, where she leaned weakly against a tree.

Her stomach was all in upheaval, but she did not throw up. She was, indeed, quivering like a drug addict in desperate need of a fix. And that fix was fusion. If it weren't enough that her psyche was shaken by the death of her grandmother, her body was a ruined mess as well.

She heard a rustling of leaves beside her, and turned to find that Goten had followed her out into the forest. He looked at her wretchedly as he dug his toe into the dirt.

"What am I going to do without her, Panny? She was all I had."

Pan was trying to form a response when a swoosh of wind revealed a blue-haired woman teleporting between them. Of course, she was wearing a fresh change of clothes and she looked good as new, in spite of how awful the fusion-break was causing her to feel.

The saiyan princess smiled at him in the way that only she could. "That's not true, Goten. You have us. You will always have us."

"Bra," Goten whispered in wonder, moving forward to seize her up in his arms. He clutched her against him tightly, almost as if he was holding on for dear life. Pan watched in awe as he buried his face in her aqua hair, no longer crying but suddenly filled with clarity and strength. She had never seen a man undergo such a change from despondent and desolate to content and calm within a matter of seconds.

She looked to her own side, and saw her own love standing there. With the dim light of the forest clearing filtering down on him from the canopy, Trunks was smiling at the scene unfolding before them. She could see that he was appreciating the sight of his long lost sister, and greatly relieved for the mending of fences between old friends. He turned to look at her, and the optimism in his blue eyes was infectious.

Pan was suddenly sure that all was going to be right with the world again.

* * *

**Author's note:** Thanks for reading, guys! Just so you know, that was NOT the last chapter of this story. But this is what it feels like to not get a cliffhanger. ;) Expect an update soon! Lots of love, Nadia.


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